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Fritz: So, you're still alive, little girl! I compliment you on your audaciousness! The name I've proudly carried since birth is Fritz Standford! I am the acting captain of the glorious Aryan Socialist Union, and you, a nefarious graverobber! This is clearly the most fated of confrontations! For the sake of those who died for the Union, you shall atone with your blood! BEHOLD! Witness this mighty gun I wield! I call it the Eisenreicht Luger Special! The barrel is the Luger Artillery Long, and the frame is hardened carbon! Featuring a thick grip with a two bullet chamber, it's truly one-of-a-kind! This weapon is far too destructive to be simply be referred to as "specialized in man-stopping"! I am the only one on earth capable of taming this terrible gun! Are you afraid?! There's no way you're not! Now, witness the awesome power of-
Revy: (shoots Fritz once) Shut the fuck up. Can't you see I wasn't even listening? Were you trying to sell me the damn gun or what?
Revy: (shoots Fritz once) Shut the fuck up. Can't you see I wasn't even listening? Were you trying to sell me the damn gun or what?
"Attention, entire world! Hear my proclamation! I am Lelouch vi Britannia, Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire and your only ruler! Schneizel has surrendered to me! As a result of this, I am now in control of both the Damocles and the F.L.E.I.J.A. weapons, and even the Black Knights no longer possess the strength to oppose me now! If anyone dares to resist my supreme authority, they shall know the devastating power of the F.L.E.I.J.A.s! Those who could challenge my military rule no longer exist! Yes, from this day, from this moment forward, the world belongs to me! Lelouch vi Britannia commands you: Obey me, subjects! OBEY ME, WORLD!"
— Lelouch vi Britannia setting his Zero-Approval Gambit into motion after defeating Schneizel, Code Geass
"What do you think of that, L?! This is my perfect victory! That's right!! I WIN!!!"
— Light Yagami, Death Note
Shiro: Think about it. Why would I commit a crime and then purposefully identify myself in the video?
Kuroh: Because you're evil and you want everyone to know it.
Shiro: If that's true, then I must be a pretty dumb villain.
Kuroh: Because you're evil and you want everyone to know it.
Shiro: If that's true, then I must be a pretty dumb villain.
— K
Comic Books
"It must be the first by-rule of the wacko-psycho killers' union: 'Immobilize the good guys (preferably, spread-eagled) and subject them to paranoid ravings.'
Licht is running true to form."
Licht is running true to form."
— Johnny Blaze, Blaze #5
"I will take my wounded and cede this battle. But it is only one in a greater war. One you and Crucible cannot win."
— Roho, Crucible
"No one rivals Doom! NO ONE! Doom is supreme! There is no power on Earth, no intellect in all creation to equal mine!!"
— Doctor Doom, Fantastic Four #258
"If you don't already know my name, then you're not worthy of an introduction. I'm the new manager around here. Naturally, I shall need time to settle in and adjust to your many interesting customs... I know, for example, that your society makes distinctions on a basis of gender and age. Perhaps, then, you could advise me... Which of you would it be polite to kill first?"
— Mongul, For the Man Who Has Everything
"When I am done, everything that lives shall live only if it is as I wish it to be."
— Darkseid, The Great Darkness Saga
"Imagine the brain as a vast mansion with... oh, let's say a million rooms. A million locked doors and a million keyholes. And yet, how few of those rooms we ever enter. Until now. My psycho-chemicals have begun to open all of the locked doors in my head. I'm tapping the 90% of the brain we never use and it's giving me such... wonderful ideas. I've finally done it. The Justice League are mine. Their thoughts belong to the Key. And with their help, I shall open the doors onto a new universe! Oh, and make a note of an interesting side effect of my expanding consciousness. I can't stop talking to myself."
— The Key, JLA (1997) #8
Faora: A quick puff, Superman — So I can keep you just where I want you on a cushion of Super-Breath as I tell you about Dyr-Ynn — the dreaded "Phantom Touch of Death"! All it takes is a precise force applied to a secret pinpoint spot on your body — and zip! You're dead"!
Superman: [thinking] Glad the braggart's taking time to explain all this! The effects of her last blow are wearing off—!
Superman: [thinking] Glad the braggart's taking time to explain all this! The effects of her last blow are wearing off—!
"Foolish mortal! Perhaps your lariat has some mystical powers over lesser beings — But it is nothing but a piece of string to the Adjudicator. A heartbeat more, and your lasso will follow you and your hapless friends — into complete and utter obliteration!"
— The Adjudicator, Judgment In Infinity
Splyce: I may not be allowed to kill you... But I can do... this! [fires an energy blast] I have heard the legends about you and your cousin. So unearned. Who's the pathetic one now?
Supergirl: [thinking] Tamaranean solar power. Not quite as smooth as Earth's. Don't react, Kara. Not just yet.
Supergirl: [thinking] Tamaranean solar power. Not quite as smooth as Earth's. Don't react, Kara. Not just yet.
Reign: Why am I telling you all this, Kara Zor-El? Because I want you to know... who it is that kills you today.
Supergirl: [thinking] She keeps talking, just watching the fight like it's all for her amusement. But I stopped listening a long time ago. I'm too busy trying to stay alive.
Supergirl: [thinking] She keeps talking, just watching the fight like it's all for her amusement. But I stopped listening a long time ago. I'm too busy trying to stay alive.
Twilight Sparkle: What are you going to do?
Bad Apple: Gloat! There will be much gloating!
Bad Apple: Gloat! There will be much gloating!
"A noble sacrifice, but in the end, you accomplish nothing. I touched your mind. I glimpsed your memories. I saw your cousin, Kal-El. Superman. He will serve my mission just as well... and he won't have a Red Ring to stop me."
— Worldkiller-1, Red Daughter of Krypton
"Now, untie her — I think I'll have some fun with her!"
"Now, two thousand years later, I'm bored again. I need a change. Starting with your death, I shall spend the next two millennia being evil! After that, who knows? Perhaps I'll try being guilty for a while. Did you honestly believe a fifth-dimensional sorcerer would resemble a funny little man in a derby hat? Would you like to see how I really look?"
Superwoman: Now that you're here on Earth someone else can play the role of Agent Liberty's Kryptonian murderer.
Supergirl: But the hard drive image—
Superwoman: Was easily dealt with, along with records of its existence. And with the good Inspector counting feathers on his wings in Heaven no one will be able to point the finger at me. I'll make sure that you are the one who's blamed. Unfortunately for you, you won't be able to tell them otherwise as you'll have suffered a "mysterious disappearance".
Supergirl: But the hard drive image—
Superwoman: Was easily dealt with, along with records of its existence. And with the good Inspector counting feathers on his wings in Heaven no one will be able to point the finger at me. I'll make sure that you are the one who's blamed. Unfortunately for you, you won't be able to tell them otherwise as you'll have suffered a "mysterious disappearance".
"The longer this clown talks, the less likely he'll be to use the energy he wastes boasting against me!"
— Superman, Who Took the Super out of Superman?
Stryfe: As we speak, the Clan Askani are making their way to Ebonshire. Like cattle to the slaughter. My Mutant Liberation Army has them surrounded, and on my command, they will end every last Askani.
Cable: Why...?
Stryfe: Because you took my world from me, Nathan. Now I'm going to take yours. Now that I've found, now that I have them in my cross hairs, I no longer need your Clan Chosen. I wanted to tell you, to see your face as you realize that you have lost. Once the Clan Askani is destroyed, I will kill the rest of your Clan Chosen, one by one. I'm going to make you listen, make you watch, as bit by bit, I tear away everything that you care about. I'm going to make you suffer as you did to me. I just hope that you'll live long enough to appreciate the true horror of it all.
Cable: Why...?
Stryfe: Because you took my world from me, Nathan. Now I'm going to take yours. Now that I've found, now that I have them in my cross hairs, I no longer need your Clan Chosen. I wanted to tell you, to see your face as you realize that you have lost. Once the Clan Askani is destroyed, I will kill the rest of your Clan Chosen, one by one. I'm going to make you listen, make you watch, as bit by bit, I tear away everything that you care about. I'm going to make you suffer as you did to me. I just hope that you'll live long enough to appreciate the true horror of it all.
"I'll attack your greatest cities — They will be helpless before me and you'll be compelled to accept my dictates! And this monument is the first to — Huh—? The sled is faltering...?"
— Klax-Ar, Strangers at the Heart's Core
"I will be everything there has ever been, Kryptonian. I will be evolved into perfection."
— Brainiac, Superman: Brainiac
"It is over! The power filtering through Superman's body has killed him while making me the greatest sorcerer who has ever lived. And now, my dear husband, to deal with you! My father, Ambra, possessed the fabled Runestone created by Merlin, but you killed him to take the Stone as yours. But before you could claim it and before he died, he sent the Gem hurling into the past. Well, now I have reclaimed my family heritage. The Stone and its powers are mine! And with it I shall kill the man who slew my father!"
— Syrene, Two for the Death of One
Mind-Bomber: But you prevented that...And you'll pay for it!
Lena Colby: Incidentally, I've figured out how you gave Linda the slip— You can't read her mind— But you can plant ideas in it! So you made yourself invisible by telepathically willing Linda to not see you!
Supergirl: But that trick won't work any more, van Horne! Thanks for keeping up the chatter, Lena! I couldn't see you two— But I could pinpoint the precise source of your voices with my super-hearing—
Lena Colby: Incidentally, I've figured out how you gave Linda the slip— You can't read her mind— But you can plant ideas in it! So you made yourself invisible by telepathically willing Linda to not see you!
Supergirl: But that trick won't work any more, van Horne! Thanks for keeping up the chatter, Lena! I couldn't see you two— But I could pinpoint the precise source of your voices with my super-hearing—
Dolok: And as for you lot... Haven't I killed you all already? How many of you are there, anyway? Which brings me, once again, to the question— the eternal question. The one I continue to ask, waiting, waiting for a good answer. Why? Why do you try to stand against me? I've mastered time. I rewrite your fate with the touch of a button. How can you possibly hope—
Supergirl: Because you're stupid.
Supergirl: Because you're stupid.
Xa-Du: I know little of your language, picked up from my time in the Aethyr Switch's mind. But it should suffice to murder you in your own tongue.
Batgirl: Right. Keep talking.
Batgirl: Right. Keep talking.
"But be warned— Resist it...and it will again burst into a flare intense enough to blind you! As if resisting any of my plans were not futile! Ha Ha!"
— Amalak, The Plague of the Antibiotic Man
Brainiac: I have no idea what you hoped to accomplish with that ridiculous maneuver, Superman— and, regrettably, you're not going to be here long enough for me to find out! That first shot shrunk you to the size of a mosquito— But the blast you're about to receive will reduce you to absolute nothingness!
Supergirl: I wouldn't touch that button if I were you, Brainiac!
Supergirl: I wouldn't touch that button if I were you, Brainiac!
"I realized that my crack-up was part of a conspiracy that you planned, Luthor. I smoked you out by pretending to go amok. I knew you rats would come here to gloat. So I was ready for you!"
— Superman, The Super-Revenge of Lex Luthor
"Ha, Ha...So you thought I'm an android? Supergirl, you'd be amazed if you knew who I really am! I'll tell you as I destroy you!"
Fan Works
"E͏ven͟ if̶ ̴y͡ǫu ̶kil̢l us̷ ͡yoų'̕v͜e ǫnly̵ slash͞e̶d o͘ff o̶ne̷ ten̸d͝r͝i̡l of a s͏in̡gle͘ g͏rea̢ter̢ or͜ga͝nism̵.͟ ̷So m͢an̴y sam͠p̴l̨e̕s. ͟ ̧S͞o m̕a̶n̸y people͠ o͟uţ ͠t͏her͏e͝ h̛op҉i̵ng̢ ̵to͜ ͞start a famil̨y҉, b͞ut can'͝t̛ ̛co͘n͏ceive̶. S͞o ͏th̴e͟y ͞re͘s̷or͘t to... ͝o҉utsid͠e a̕s̴si͘s҉t̡an̡ce̷. ͞ H̴ow ̸m̨an҉y g͟enerątion͝s wįll i̸t͡ ̸t͠a͟ke, do y̨ou͡ ̷thi͞nk̸,̴ ͞be͟fơre̢ ҉t͟he c̨ḩi͘ldre̶n͠ o͡f ̛the dra͠gǫn̷ ̸w͘alk̸ t̕h̨e ͝ci̢ty ̢s̛tr҉e͢et̢s i͟n̵ ͝p̛l̸ai͘n si̢gh͟ţ, ͝n̕o͜ ̡one sųsp͢ec̡t̵ing̸ ̢a th̴ing? ̶ H͞o͝w many mo͟re ̧frien̴ds͠ of yo̢u̢r͡s͟ m̵ight sti҉l̷l͘ be ̶end͘an̢ger͟ed̶? ͞ B̛e͝s̴ide͟s,͏ ͏we͘ ͝kno̡w w͠here̴ ͢to f͜ind͢ y̴our͏ ͡f̴r͏i̕ends.̴.͟. wh͞ere ̡to f͘i̵n͘d ҉Madis͞on.͏"note
— Alan Jonah within the Many, Abraxas (Hrodvitnon)
Discord: Enjoying your walk, Heartstrings? You're getting along quite well on just two legs, I see. Like any other human. You really are one of them, aren't you? I just wanted to stop by and offer my most sincere gratitude. If it weren't for you, Heartstrings, I never would have found this place. And to imagine, you were right there in Ponyville the entire time! If I had known there were humans left, I wouldn't have wasted my time there. No, humans are far more fun. I'm rather fond of humans myself. I suppose we have that much in common, you and me. All that technology, right? And their hands that they use it with?
Lyra: W-where are you?
Discord: Oh, I'm exactly where I want to be — here, in the human world. Can you imagine? A separate world, filled with millions of humans, and it's been right next door all along. You're really quite a lot of fun, you humans. And just look at how amazing this world is! Leave you alone for a couple thousand years and you accomplish all of this.
Lyra: How did you get here? How did you find me? What are you doing?
Discord: I think you know exactly what I'm planning. You see, I've been terribly bored, like you couldn't even imagine. I've been in need of some good old-fashioned chaos. Or — my mistake — the humans here have all new ways to create chaos! I do look forward to this, I really mean that.
Lyra: There's more to humans than that. I've been studying them — us. We're better than that.
Discord: From the looks of things, you've all made quite enough chaos without my help. We'll see about that. Well, I didn't plan to visit for long. Just long enough to drop in and leave you with something. You see, there's a whole world of humans out there waiting for me, and let's just say you'll be happier if you're not one of them. Do you realize that there are billions of you in this world? Not thousands, not even millions. I could find millions of you in just one city. And it's not too far from here, is it? Like I said, Heartstrings — my sincerest thanks for your help.
Lyra: W-where are you?
Discord: Oh, I'm exactly where I want to be — here, in the human world. Can you imagine? A separate world, filled with millions of humans, and it's been right next door all along. You're really quite a lot of fun, you humans. And just look at how amazing this world is! Leave you alone for a couple thousand years and you accomplish all of this.
Lyra: How did you get here? How did you find me? What are you doing?
Discord: I think you know exactly what I'm planning. You see, I've been terribly bored, like you couldn't even imagine. I've been in need of some good old-fashioned chaos. Or — my mistake — the humans here have all new ways to create chaos! I do look forward to this, I really mean that.
Lyra: There's more to humans than that. I've been studying them — us. We're better than that.
Discord: From the looks of things, you've all made quite enough chaos without my help. We'll see about that. Well, I didn't plan to visit for long. Just long enough to drop in and leave you with something. You see, there's a whole world of humans out there waiting for me, and let's just say you'll be happier if you're not one of them. Do you realize that there are billions of you in this world? Not thousands, not even millions. I could find millions of you in just one city. And it's not too far from here, is it? Like I said, Heartstrings — my sincerest thanks for your help.
"Oh, but of course! If there's anything I love, it's gloating!"
— Thunderstorm, Calvin & Hobbes: The Series, "Thunderstorm"
"You waste both of our times. Both of us know the wine of violence. Both of us know that this must end here, with a long and heady draft of it. I will toast your death with it."
— Kobra, Dance with the Demons
"Do you think I am innocent of anything the Reich did? I shot down partisans and Allied soldiers. I tortured captives. I supervised operations, at times, in a concentration camp. My hands are as red as my skull, Captain. I would do it again. If I triumph, I will."
"Do you know what I'm going to do after I kill you, Kara? Do you know? Well, listen. I'm going to find my child. I'm going to raise him to be what neither Mordru nor I could be alone. A sorcerer with the genes and power of the greatest necromancer in the universe, plus the body and powers of a Kryptonian. He will be a scourge such as Mordru never dreamed of. And I will rule through him, and he will rule because of me. We will conquer as none have ever conquered. But it may take a little while to find him. So I'm going to do something first, just to get the kinks out. I'm going to find me a planet, one with people on it, lots and lots of people. And I'm going to kill them all. Then I'm going to another planet, and kill just, maybe, half of them. And I'll make the ones who live worship me. By the time I find my child, he may be the object of a new religion. Wouldn't that be nice, Kara?"
"I almost didn't escape. But all I had to do, in the end, was use my flight power to its fullest extent. For about an hour, to be precise. If you hadn't been so intent on making a long speech, you could probably have gotten me."
He knew what Dio was capable of, and if he got the chance, he would destroy anyone that got in his path. He deflected those attacks so easily, and if it weren't for the fact that he likes to take a moment to gloat about his superiority in the situation, Jonathan would've never managed to get the drop on him.
It looked like Lord Voldemort had the upper hand. Hermione knew this, because the moment he did, he had started gloating again. That man, whether he be a monkey or a necklace or a hat, was obviously incapable of just shutting up — no matter what was at stake. She didn't even try to listen to what he was saying, only catching phrases like 'absolute power', 'bow to me', and 'unlimited rice pudding is mine!'. (...Well, she might have been imagining that last one.)
"I apologize for interrupting Miss Hansen's attempt to dispose of you," purred a voice from hidden sono-induction coils. "But my attractive protegé is completely lacking in any sense of melodrama. It would be rude to destroy my enemies without revealing myself in all my majesty. The fact that you will be forced to undergo two terrifying demises is merely a fringe benefit."
— Dr. Zarkendorf, Plan 7 of 9 from Outer Space
Film — Animation
Frozone: So now I'm in deep trouble. I mean, one more jolt of this death ray, and I'm an epitaph. Somehow I manage to find cover and what does Baron von Ruthless do?
Mr. Incredible: [snickering] He starts monologuing?
Frozone: He starts monologuing!
Mr. Incredible: Yep! [laughs]
Frozone: He starts like, this prepared speech about how "feeble" I am compared to him, how [rolls eyes] "inevitable" my defeat is, how [makes a dramatic hand gesture] "The world! Will soon! Be his!" Yadda yadda yadda...
Mr. Incredible: Yammering.
Frozone: Yammering! I mean, the guy has me on a platter, and he won't shut up!
Mr. Incredible: [snickering] He starts monologuing?
Frozone: He starts monologuing!
Mr. Incredible: Yep! [laughs]
Frozone: He starts like, this prepared speech about how "feeble" I am compared to him, how [rolls eyes] "inevitable" my defeat is, how [makes a dramatic hand gesture] "The world! Will soon! Be his!" Yadda yadda yadda...
Mr. Incredible: Yammering.
Frozone: Yammering! I mean, the guy has me on a platter, and he won't shut up!
"You sly dog! You got me monologuing! (laughing) I can't believe it!"
— Syndrome, The Incredibles
Batman: What are you planning to do — talk me to death?
Owlman: Actually... [hits Batman] I thought I'd beat you to death.
Owlman: Actually... [hits Batman] I thought I'd beat you to death.
Rumpelstiltskin: Have I been waiting for you! Ladies, this is the guy that made all of this possible! (whispers) So, tell me, how are you enjoying your day?
Shrek: All right, Rumpel, what's going on? What have you done?
Rumpelstiltskin: No, Shrek, it's not what I've done. It's what you've done. Thanks to you, the King and Queen signed their kingdom over to me.
Shrek: They would never do that.
Rumpelstiltskin: They would if I promised them all their problems would disappear. And then THEY disappeared! They would have done anything if they thought it would end their daughter's curse.
Shrek: I ended Fiona's curse!
Rumpelstiltskin: How could you when you never existed?
Shrek: You better start making sense, you dirty little man!
Rumpelstiltskin: (takes the contract from Shrek's vest) Here, let me spell it out for you! (points to fine print) You gave me a day from your past, a day you couldn't even remember. A day when you were an innocent, mindless little baby. (hums the "Happy Birthday" song)
Shrek: You took the day I was born.
Rumpelstiltskin: No, Shrek. You gave it to me.
Shrek: Enjoy this while you can, Stiltskin, because when this day is up....
Rumpelstiltskin: Bub-bub-bub-bub...! But you haven't heard the best part. (a witch places a huge hourglass on the table) Since you were never born, once this day comes to an end, so will you.
Shrek: (Witches start laughing) Where's Fiona? Where's my family!?
Rumpelstiltskin: Silly little ogre. You don't get it, do you? You see, you were never born. You never met Fiona. (menacingly) Your kids don't exist. (Shrek glares, Rumpelstiltskin and the witches begin to laugh) How's that for a metaphysical paradox?! (Shrek grits his teeth, Rumpelstiltskin and the witches laugh even harder) Looks like you got exactly what you wanted!! (Shrek snarls with intense fury as Rumpel and the witches continue to laugh and mock him) HAPPY OGRE DAY!!!
Shrek: All right, Rumpel, what's going on? What have you done?
Rumpelstiltskin: No, Shrek, it's not what I've done. It's what you've done. Thanks to you, the King and Queen signed their kingdom over to me.
Shrek: They would never do that.
Rumpelstiltskin: They would if I promised them all their problems would disappear. And then THEY disappeared! They would have done anything if they thought it would end their daughter's curse.
Shrek: I ended Fiona's curse!
Rumpelstiltskin: How could you when you never existed?
Shrek: You better start making sense, you dirty little man!
Rumpelstiltskin: (takes the contract from Shrek's vest) Here, let me spell it out for you! (points to fine print) You gave me a day from your past, a day you couldn't even remember. A day when you were an innocent, mindless little baby. (hums the "Happy Birthday" song)
Shrek: You took the day I was born.
Rumpelstiltskin: No, Shrek. You gave it to me.
Shrek: Enjoy this while you can, Stiltskin, because when this day is up....
Rumpelstiltskin: Bub-bub-bub-bub...! But you haven't heard the best part. (a witch places a huge hourglass on the table) Since you were never born, once this day comes to an end, so will you.
Shrek: (Witches start laughing) Where's Fiona? Where's my family!?
Rumpelstiltskin: Silly little ogre. You don't get it, do you? You see, you were never born. You never met Fiona. (menacingly) Your kids don't exist. (Shrek glares, Rumpelstiltskin and the witches begin to laugh) How's that for a metaphysical paradox?! (Shrek grits his teeth, Rumpelstiltskin and the witches laugh even harder) Looks like you got exactly what you wanted!! (Shrek snarls with intense fury as Rumpel and the witches continue to laugh and mock him) HAPPY OGRE DAY!!!
"First Prime, then Ultra Magnus, and now you. It's a pity you Autobots die so easily, or I might have a sense of satisfaction now!"
— Galvatron, to Hot Rod, The Transformers: The Movie
Film — Live-Action
Iron Man: What's the Vibranium for?
Ultron: I'm glad you asked that, because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan.
(attacks Iron Man)
Ultron: I'm glad you asked that, because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan.
(attacks Iron Man)
— Ultron mocks the trope, Avengers: Age of Ultron
"I don't mind talking. I get a kick out of watching the great James Bond find out what a bloody fool he's been making of himself."
Walter Simmons: This is how we, as a species, win. See, ten years ago, when Gojira was first revealed to the world, I had a dream. And in that dream, I saw one thing. And that beautiful, amazing thing was... [notices everyone's backing away from him; turns around to see Mechagodzilla has gone rogue and is about to attack] Oh, shit.
[Mechagodzilla swats him like an insect, shattering the control room]
Bernie Hayes: [coughing] It's unfair. I really wanted to hear the rest of that speech!''
[Mechagodzilla swats him like an insect, shattering the control room]
Bernie Hayes: [coughing] It's unfair. I really wanted to hear the rest of that speech!''
"When you have to shoot, shoot — don't talk!"
— Tuco summarizes the problems inherent to this trope, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
"Where’s lover boy? Oh, I see. You were gonna help him, right? Well, that’s sweet. You know, it's too bad you couldn't help your little friend. That little girl. What was her name again? Rue? Yeah, well, we killed her. And now we're gonna kill you."
— Clove to Katniss, The Hunger Games
"Before you die, know that I will put under the knife your children, so your seed are wiped out from the earth forever."
— Magua, Last of the Mohicans
"The world is changing. Who now has the strength to stand against the armies of Isengard and Mordor? To stand against the might of Sauron and Saruman... and the union of the two towers? Together, my lord Sauron, we shall rule this Middle-earth. The old world will burn in the fires of industry; the forests will fall. A new world will rise. We will drive the machine of war with the sword and the spear and the iron fist of the Orc. We have only to remove those who oppose us."
— Saruman, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
"You must be that little Spanish brat I taught a lesson to all those years ago. You've been chasing me your whole life only to fail now? I think that's the worst thing I've ever heard. [Beat] How marvelous."
— Rugen, The Princess Bride
"I deprive your ship of power, and when I swing around I will deprive you of your life! But first I wanted you to know who it was who had beaten you."
— Khan, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Eliot Ness: I'm going to see you burn, you son of a bitch, because you killed my friend!
Frank Nitti: He died like a pig.
Elio Ness: What did you say?
Frank Nitti: I said your friend died screaming like a stuck Irish pig. Now you think about that when I beat the rap. [starts to walk away when Ness grabs him and pushes him off the roof]
Eliot Ness: [shouting over Nitti's scream] Did it sound anything like THAT?!
Frank Nitti: He died like a pig.
Elio Ness: What did you say?
Frank Nitti: I said your friend died screaming like a stuck Irish pig. Now you think about that when I beat the rap. [starts to walk away when Ness grabs him and pushes him off the roof]
Eliot Ness: [shouting over Nitti's scream] Did it sound anything like THAT?!
"I think if you're going to kill somebody, kill them! Don't stand around talking about it!"
— Anna Valerious to Aleera, Van Helsing
Literature
"Before you go getting ideas, this is a prerecorded message. Being a genius, I can do almost anything, but I can't resist a soliloquy. Besides, I have to respect the Third Law of Dark and Light: If you want to break the rules, you need to sell it with a story. Say I want to set off a doomsday device. I can't just push the button: I have to start by making a big brass-balled speech about why I'm doing what I'm doing will work. Otherwise, everything fizzles. Believe me, I've tried some bloody ingenious stuff in places like Antarctica — no mess, no fuss, just mucking up reality where no one will ever find me. It doesn't work. The Light and Dark want drama. Public spectacle.
On the other hand, I know not to waste my tie on oratory when I ought to be... oh, committing mass murder, something like that. Whenever I start a speech, there's always some beetle-browed hero who can't be arsed to listen. I say "I'm going to blow up the city of-" then boom, the bugger blasts me. His teammates are all "Couldn't you have waited one more word?" but for some of these yobbos, it's a point of pride not to let me finish my sentences.
So now I record everything in advance. It's fun sitting in the studio, blathering on without time pressure. I make sure I cover all the pertinent information, and edit out slips of the tongue. I used to add background music, but I got into copyright trouble. Seriously. I load all my soliloquys to YouTube once the dust settles, but if I put in soundtracks, BMI and ASCAP get the video yanked. Cheeky bastards. Not coincidentally, BMI and ASCAP are run by Darkling shitheads. (Note to self: fill their headquarters with anthrax.)"
On the other hand, I know not to waste my tie on oratory when I ought to be... oh, committing mass murder, something like that. Whenever I start a speech, there's always some beetle-browed hero who can't be arsed to listen. I say "I'm going to blow up the city of-" then boom, the bugger blasts me. His teammates are all "Couldn't you have waited one more word?" but for some of these yobbos, it's a point of pride not to let me finish my sentences.
So now I record everything in advance. It's fun sitting in the studio, blathering on without time pressure. I make sure I cover all the pertinent information, and edit out slips of the tongue. I used to add background music, but I got into copyright trouble. Seriously. I load all my soliloquys to YouTube once the dust settles, but if I put in soundtracks, BMI and ASCAP get the video yanked. Cheeky bastards. Not coincidentally, BMI and ASCAP are run by Darkling shitheads. (Note to self: fill their headquarters with anthrax.)"
"Let me tell you how important it is to keep your mouth shut. Me, I've seen so many damn people going on and on about 'these will be the last words you ever hear' and 'take these words with you to the afterlife,' and then that gives whoever they're fighting an opening to strike back. Crazy, isn't it? I see it all the time, in books, in plays, even in real life! I don't even know why, but somehow the more comfortable someone is with killing, the more they flap their mouth when it comes time to do the deed, yakking on and on and on. As you might have guessed, I myself happen to be such a person! And therefore, as such, in light of that revelation, I'll say that one is enough, and since that one is of course myself, I want you all to shut up. You're boring. Swallow those words and take them to the afterlife yourself if you want them delivered there so damn much."
— Ladd Russo, Baccano! 1934 — Alice in Jails
"Only a third-rate person would lick his lips in front of his prey."
— Sousuke Sagara, Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid
Vimes said nothing. Wonse was a gloater. You always stood a chance with gloaters. The old Patrician had never been a gloater, you could say that for him. If he wanted you dead, you never even heard about it.
Waiting for him to continue, Bond took the measure of his enemy. He knew what would be coming — justification. It was always so. When they thought they had got you where they wanted you, when they knew they were decisively on top, before the knock-out, even to an audience on the threshold of extinction, it was pleasant, reassuring to the executioner, to deliver his apologia — purge the sin he was about to commit.
Kos had read enough zib-store novellas on late duty at the Imp Wing and decade after decade of slow night shifts at the Tenth to recognize one of the cheap entertainment's iconic figures: the maniacal magelord with a plan to consume the world with fire, floods, frost, or some combination of all three. The magelord always revealed his plan to the heroes once he'd captured them and strung them up in various awkward positions.
The retired 'jek never thought he'd actually meet such a character, or find himself in such a position, but Zomaj Hauc looked prepared to play the part to the hilt. Kos hoped he wasn't fooling himself. His ability to read people was a bit rusty, and the man was obviously insane. But here they were, strung up like an audience as Hauc paced the "stage" of his flight sphere landing pad.
The retired 'jek never thought he'd actually meet such a character, or find himself in such a position, but Zomaj Hauc looked prepared to play the part to the hilt. Kos hoped he wasn't fooling himself. His ability to read people was a bit rusty, and the man was obviously insane. But here they were, strung up like an audience as Hauc paced the "stage" of his flight sphere landing pad.
— Ravnica Cycle: Guildpact
Live-Action TV
"Typical master criminal, loves the sound of his own voice." [...] "Gloating is a sign of insecurity, Ludwig. Stop it."
— Edmund Blackadder, Blackadder II
"I really gotta learn to just do the damage and leave town. It's the stay-and-gloat that gets me every time."
— Ethan Rayne, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The Doctor: I see. You're one of those boring maniacs who's going to gloat, hmmm? Are you going to tell me your plan for running the universe?
Taren Capel: Oh no, Doctor. I’m going to burn out your brain. Very, very slowly.
Taren Capel: Oh no, Doctor. I’m going to burn out your brain. Very, very slowly.
Davros: Does it worry you, Doctor? That with it, I will transform Skaro's sun into a source of unimaginable power!? And with that power at my disposal, The Daleks shall sweep away Gallifrey and its impotent corps of Time Lords! The Daleks shall become lords of time! We shall become all—
The Doctor: —Powerful!? Crush the lesser races!? Conquer the galaxy!? Unimaginable power!? Unlimited rice pudding! Et cetera, et cetera!
The Doctor: —Powerful!? Crush the lesser races!? Conquer the galaxy!? Unimaginable power!? Unlimited rice pudding! Et cetera, et cetera!
Piter deVries: Perhaps we should get on with it then?
Baron Harkonnen: Get on with it? THIS-IS-KANLY, Piter! Vendetta! And I am going to savor every minute of it. My family has hated the Atreides for generations. They have been the sand in our eyes, the stink at our meals. These arrogant Atreides, always standing in our way. I want Leto to appreciate the beauty, of what I have done to him. I want him to know that I, BARON VLADIMIR HARKONNEN, am the instrument of his family's demise, the extinction of House Atreides, and the ascendance [Milking the Giant Cow] of House Harkonnen.
Baron Harkonnen: Get on with it? THIS-IS-KANLY, Piter! Vendetta! And I am going to savor every minute of it. My family has hated the Atreides for generations. They have been the sand in our eyes, the stink at our meals. These arrogant Atreides, always standing in our way. I want Leto to appreciate the beauty, of what I have done to him. I want him to know that I, BARON VLADIMIR HARKONNEN, am the instrument of his family's demise, the extinction of House Atreides, and the ascendance [Milking the Giant Cow] of House Harkonnen.
— Dune
"Listen, I get how fun it is to brag about how much smarter you are than Odd Squad, and how they'll never catch you. I've even done it myself. [...] Great speech, right? Wrong. I told Odd Squad what I was going to do and when I was going to do it, which made it so much easier for them to catch me!"
— Jamie Jam, Odd Squad
Jackie: Why did you just tell us your entire plan unprompted?
Reggie: ...I dunno. It's just something we do.
Reggie: ...I dunno. It's just something we do.
Video Games
"Wo meyz wah dii vul junaar? Nivahriin muz fent siiv nid aaz het.*
...You do not answer. Must I use this guttural language of yours?
Have you returned, Aren? My old friend? Do you seek to finish that which you could not? You only face failure once more...
You... You are not Aren, are you? Has he sent you in his place? Did he warn you that your own power would be your undoing? That it would only serve to strengthen me?
Come. Face your end."
...You do not answer. Must I use this guttural language of yours?
Have you returned, Aren? My old friend? Do you seek to finish that which you could not? You only face failure once more...
You... You are not Aren, are you? Has he sent you in his place? Did he warn you that your own power would be your undoing? That it would only serve to strengthen me?
Come. Face your end."
— Morokei, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Alderman Richard Hughes: I'm Richard Hughes. It's a pleasure to meet the man who handed me the election. [offers his hand, but the Playa refuses it] No need to be modest, I'm serious. There's no way I could have beaten Marshall Winslow, God rest his soul. But you made the impossible happen, and for that, I can't thank you enough. I mean, had Winslow been the only man killed, attention would definitely have been cast on me, but after that fireworks display you pulled at his funeral, it's become abundantly clear these horrible crimes were committed by the Third Street Saints. While before, people were criticizing my Saint's Row urban renewal plan, it is now being lauded. See, until you came along, I was displacing poor people. Now I'm destroying a hotbed of gang activity. What can I say? The public is fickle... Champagne? [the Playa refuses the champagne] As you get older, you quickly learn that there are only two types of people in the world. Race, money, gender, none of this matters. At the end of the day, you're either a winner or a loser. Now, the sad truth about our situation is that, in order for me to be a winner, I have to level your neighborhood and Salt the Earth. Hold on for a moment. Steven, could you come in here? Where was I? Oh, yes, salting the earth. I suppose I could try and pay you off, but really, what's the point? You'd just say no, or in your case, stand there looking intimidating, and we'd be right back where we started. So I figured I'd cut the middle man and get right to the point.
The Playa: Yo, could you speed this shit up? I wanna go to Freckle Bitch's...
Alderman Hughes: You're going to die here, son, make no mistake about that... but if it makes it any easier on you, I'll be sure to thank you in my acceptance speech. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a party to— [a bomb on the yacht goes off, killing him]
The Playa: Yo, could you speed this shit up? I wanna go to Freckle Bitch's...
Alderman Hughes: You're going to die here, son, make no mistake about that... but if it makes it any easier on you, I'll be sure to thank you in my acceptance speech. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a party to— [a bomb on the yacht goes off, killing him]
"Ooh! I think I gloated so hard I pulled a muscle!"
— Eggman, Sonic Colors
"How long ya gonna gloat? Beat it!"
— Iori Yagami, The King of Fighters 2000, lampshading the trope
"Your women are doomed. Your ship is lost. Your time... shall be mine! Once I possess the Canon, the puppet shall become the master... I shall sit supreme. The Emperor!! Of existence itself!!!"
— Crow Harbor, Sunrider 4: The Captain's Return
"There's always a speech, isn't there? Then screams. Let's get the screams started."
— Sienna, Vermintide II
"You know what, I've never gotten to do a classic villain monologue. And what do I have here, but a captive audience!"
— John Juniper, I Expect You To Die 2: The Spy and the Liar
"Oh Lieutenant, you're just too late! My beautiful missile destroyed the Orchidea! Soon we will destroy the Allied fleet! The USS Ancon will be consumed in fire! Eisenhower will burn! How could you hope to stop me? You couldn't save the Angel! You can't save Eisenhower! It's over, Lieutenant! Sofia's sacrifice will have been in vain! The Angel will have died for nothing! Now you finally see who I am, it's too late. From this chaos we will bring order to the world. Our time has come. My time has come. The last thing Eisenhower will see will be my glorious creation bearing down upon him! Open the missile hatch! Give up, Karl Fairburne! Your war is lost!"
—General Heinz Böhm, Sniper Elite 4
Webcomics
"Now, Credenza, I'll explain... how this is going to work.
I'm going to let you live, bound of course, as I discuss my plan in glorious detail.
Then I'll set up some kind of hilarious Death Trap, while dangling your powerful magical weapon nearby, with plenty of chances for you to escape — oh wait! Sorry, my mistake.
That's exactly what we're not going to do."
I'm going to let you live, bound of course, as I discuss my plan in glorious detail.
Then I'll set up some kind of hilarious Death Trap, while dangling your powerful magical weapon nearby, with plenty of chances for you to escape — oh wait! Sorry, my mistake.
That's exactly what we're not going to do."
— Captain Snow, Archipelago
"That's twice now that I'm telling you this. Perhaps you missed the info while you were gloating over your petty accomplishments."
Hel: Any last words before we tear this world apart and build a new one in my image?
Loki: Really? The premature villain gloat? I'm a failure as a parent.
Loki: Really? The premature villain gloat? I'm a failure as a parent.
Web Original
"I have been ranting on unoriginal concepts throughout this whole list and now that we are in the top 2 it is time to tackle one of the big ones: Unoriginal villains. You know what I am talking about: those unthreatening hacks that just stand around monologuing constantly, always laugh and somehow manage to do all of this while not getting killed mid-speech or mid-laughter. The absolute worst offender of this kind by far is Exdeath from Final Fantasy V . Apart from having a backstory that may as well have been made with Madlibs, nothing about this guy is subtle. All he does is boast, monologue and laugh. I am not exaggerating. Before the final battle with him he literally does ALL THREE! I don't think I need to say anymore. This cliché speaks for itself."
— The Autarch, "Top 10 worst video game clichés"
Plagg: So... We're evil now, huh?
Adrien: Evil is hardly what we are, Plagg. We're trying to do what's right. Burning down the old system for its cruelty.
Plagg: Is that the motive he gave you?
Adrien: This disgusting world with its cruelties and restrictions, the only true way of the world is chaos and change. And it's up to us to return the world to its natural state.
Plagg: I mean I guess I've had kittens with worse goals.
Adrien: Are you done yet?
Plagg: Yeah yeah, go fix the world, kitty. [to himself] Little psycho.
Adrien: Evil is hardly what we are, Plagg. We're trying to do what's right. Burning down the old system for its cruelty.
Plagg: Is that the motive he gave you?
Adrien: This disgusting world with its cruelties and restrictions, the only true way of the world is chaos and change. And it's up to us to return the world to its natural state.
Plagg: I mean I guess I've had kittens with worse goals.
Adrien: Are you done yet?
Plagg: Yeah yeah, go fix the world, kitty. [to himself] Little psycho.
Western Animation
"Why do they always talk so much?"
— Bruce Wayne, Batman Beyond
Megatron: Even now, Rhinox, you're teaching me a valuable lesson...
Rhinox: Yeah? What's that?
Megatron: Sometimes Predacons gloat too much! [ZAP]
Rhinox: Yeah? What's that?
Megatron: Sometimes Predacons gloat too much! [ZAP]
Narrator: As Yankee Doodle Pigeon breaks the morning stillness while flying another dangerous mission, he keeps a wary eye out for the vicious Vulture Squadron. Skippered by the deadly, diabolical, despicable demon of the skyways, Dick Dastardly.
Dastardly: You left out dashing and debonair! [Evil Laugh]
Dastardly: You left out dashing and debonair! [Evil Laugh]
— Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines, "Camouflage Hoparoo"
Yankee Doodle Pigeon: You cad! I accuse you of violation of the truce!
Dastardly: [smugly] So? Sue me! In just thirty seconds, the truce will be over and you will be A.W.O.L.! What do you suppose they'll think of that?
Dastardly: [smugly] So? Sue me! In just thirty seconds, the truce will be over and you will be A.W.O.L.! What do you suppose they'll think of that?
— Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines, "Truce Or Consequences"
Future Shego: Well, Kimmie, it's been real. Erase them from history!
Future Drakken: What?! No taunting?! No "how did I do it" speech?! Oh, poor supervillain form, Shego!
Future Shego: Ya think?
Future Drakken: Most definitely. What's the point of ruling the world if you don't stop to smell the roses?
Future Drakken: What?! No taunting?! No "how did I do it" speech?! Oh, poor supervillain form, Shego!
Future Shego: Ya think?
Future Drakken: Most definitely. What's the point of ruling the world if you don't stop to smell the roses?
Phantom Limb: The lair of the Phantom. Behind these modest walls lies the most technologically advanced system of controlled evil in existence. [Gripping orchestral music starts playing] You, sir, are sitting smack dab in the middle of location B for the Guild of Calamitous Intent! [Music ends abruptly]
Brock: You like doing that, don't you?
Phantom Limb: Oh yes, next to the 'Behold-A-Giant-Walking-Death-Ray' speech, the 'Welcome-To-Hell' speech is my favorite.
Brock: You like doing that, don't you?
Phantom Limb: Oh yes, next to the 'Behold-A-Giant-Walking-Death-Ray' speech, the 'Welcome-To-Hell' speech is my favorite.
Jack: I'd love to stay and gloat, but I'm told I do too much of that.
Wuya: Oh, so true.
Wuya: Oh, so true.
