I know things look bleak, but that crazy man down there was right. Let's NOT take these lemons! We are going to march right back upstairs and MAKE him put me back in my body! And he'll probably kill us, because he's INCREDIBLY powerful and I have NO plan!
Beat
Wow. I'm not going to lie to you, the odds are a million to one and that's with some generous rounding. Still, LET'S GET MAD! If we're going to explode, let's at LEAST explode with some DIGNITY!
Beat
Wow. I'm not going to lie to you, the odds are a million to one and that's with some generous rounding. Still, LET'S GET MAD! If we're going to explode, let's at LEAST explode with some DIGNITY!
— GLaDOS, Portal 2
Alfred: You're gonna go to war?
Bruce: That son of a bitch brought the war to us two years ago. Jesus, Alfred, count the dead: thousands of people. What's next? Millions? He has the power to wipe out the entire human race, and if we believe there's even a one percent chance that he is our enemy, we have to take it as an absolute certainty... and we have to destroy him.
Bruce: That son of a bitch brought the war to us two years ago. Jesus, Alfred, count the dead: thousands of people. What's next? Millions? He has the power to wipe out the entire human race, and if we believe there's even a one percent chance that he is our enemy, we have to take it as an absolute certainty... and we have to destroy him.
"Million-to-once chances crop up nine times out of ten."
—Granny Weatherwax, Discworld
"Scientists have calculated that the chances of something so patently absurd [as the Discworld] actually existing are millions to one. But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.”
—Mort
Vaarsuvius: I estimate no greater than a 10% chance of [Qarr] being able to summon another devil. Further, even if he were successful, the majority of devils that might possibly respond are well within an accepted range of difficult for the forces we have arranged here. [...] The chance of him summoning a devil that would actually put us in mortal danger is infinitesimally low.
Elan: So it's like a million-to-one chance?
Vaarsuvius: Well, not precisely, but chances are certainly in the vicinity of-
Elan: TAKE COVER!
Big Red Devil: RAAAWWRRR!!!
Elan: A 10% chance is unlikely, but everyone knows that a million-to-one chance is a sure thing!
Vaarsuvius: And once again, Probability proves itself willing to sneak into a back alley and service Drama as would a copper-piece harlot.
"This operation had a zero percent chance of succeeding, but it seems that theoretical calculations are pointless with you."
— Lordgenome, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Bunty: The chances of us getting out of here are about a million to one!
Ginger: Then there's still a chance.
Ginger: Then there's still a chance.
"The percentages mean nothing. A brave heart will overcome any odds."
"The chances of anything coming from Mars
Are a million to one," he said
The chances of anything coming from Mars
Are a million to one.
But still, they come!''
Are a million to one," he said
The chances of anything coming from Mars
Are a million to one.
But still, they come!''
Sergeant Colon looked wretched. "Weeell, what if it's not a million-to-one chance?" he said.
Nobby stared at him.
"What d'you mean?" he said.
"Well, all right, last desperate million-to-one chances always work, right, no problem, but...well, it's pretty wossname, specific. I mean, isn't it?"
"You tell me," said Nobby.
"What if it's just a thousand-to-one chance?" said Colon agonizedly.
"What?"
"Anyone ever heard of a thousand-to-one shot coming up?"
Carrot looked up. "Don't be daft, Sergeant," he said. "No one ever saw a thousand-to-one chance come up. The odds against it are—" his lips moved—"millions to one."
"Yeah. Millions," agreed Nobby.
"So it'd only work if it's your actual million-to-one chance," said the sergeant.
"I suppose that's right," said Nobby.
"So 999,943-to-one, for example—" Colon began.
Carrot shook his head. "Wouldn't have a hope. No one ever said, 'It's a 999,943-to-one chance but it just might work.'"
Nobby stared at him.
"What d'you mean?" he said.
"Well, all right, last desperate million-to-one chances always work, right, no problem, but...well, it's pretty wossname, specific. I mean, isn't it?"
"You tell me," said Nobby.
"What if it's just a thousand-to-one chance?" said Colon agonizedly.
"What?"
"Anyone ever heard of a thousand-to-one shot coming up?"
Carrot looked up. "Don't be daft, Sergeant," he said. "No one ever saw a thousand-to-one chance come up. The odds against it are—" his lips moved—"millions to one."
"Yeah. Millions," agreed Nobby.
"So it'd only work if it's your actual million-to-one chance," said the sergeant.
"I suppose that's right," said Nobby.
"So 999,943-to-one, for example—" Colon began.
Carrot shook his head. "Wouldn't have a hope. No one ever said, 'It's a 999,943-to-one chance but it just might work.'"
"Fate laughs at probabilities."
Nia: The likelihood of that is infinitely close to zero.
Simon: Maybe, but it isn't zero. As far as I'm concerned, that makes it the same as a 100% chance.
Simon: Maybe, but it isn't zero. As far as I'm concerned, that makes it the same as a 100% chance.
—Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann Episode 22
"Have you ever met a proctologist? Well, they usually have a very good sense of humor. You meet a proctologist at a party, don't walk away, plant yourself there, because you will hear the funniest stories you've ever heard! See, no one wants to admit to them that they stuck something up there. Never. It's always an accident. Every proctologist story ends in the same way: 'It was a million to one shot, Doc! Million to one!'"
— Kramer, Seinfeld, "The Fusilli Jerry"
"Great shot, kid! That was one-in-a-million!"
—Han Solo lampshades the trope in Star Wars: A New Hope
Stephen Strange: I went forward in time...to view alternate futures. To see all the possible outcomes of the coming conflict.
Peter Quill: How many did you see?
Stephen Strange: 14,000,605.
Tony Stark: How many did we win?
(ominous pause)
Stephen Strange: One.
Peter Quill: How many did you see?
Stephen Strange: 14,000,605.
Tony Stark: How many did we win?
(ominous pause)
Stephen Strange: One.
Tintin: Bad news, Captain. We've only got one bullet.
Haddock: And what's the good news?
Tintin: We've got ONE bullet.
Haddock: And what's the good news?
Tintin: We've got ONE bullet.
