Last Chance to Quit

Simon Gruber: John, in the back of the truck you're driving, there's 13 billion dollars worth of gold bullion. I wonder, would a deal be out of the question? John McClane: Yeah, I got a deal for you. Come out from that rock you're hiding under, and I'll drive this truck up your ass. —Die Hard With a Vengeance

An Affably Evil villain (or a Punch Clock Villain, or even a Well-Intentioned Extremist that hasn't gone Ax Crazy) may very well at some point offer The Hero the opportunity to run away or not interfere in the villain's plans. Because he/she may very well not actually wish to harm the hero, they simply want to complete the robbery/rule the world/raise the undead, what have you. A Magnificent Bastard or Smug Snake might do this to highlight just how assured their victory is. Thus this is can be a fashion of Evil Gloating. Expect some sort of bribe; usually a cut of the stolen goods, maybe a sip of the forbidden elixir if its a fantasy or sci-fi story, or a Shiny New Australia.

In the majority of cases, The Hero will refuse to quit their crusade against evil, some might even be insulted by the villain's audacity and self-assuredness. Thus, this can also be a fashion of "The Reason You Suck" Speech. A number of things may happen after getting a Last Chance. If the villain's cockiness is rightfully assured, chances are the good guys are in for Curb Stomp Battle. Otherwise, the good guys may respond with a Screw Your Ultimatum.

The opposite use when someone is Bullying a Dragon, or bullying someone who will let it go, but has less forgiving friends. Then there's a reasonable warning along the lines of "Leave it. Just walk away now." If that's not taken, there's trouble.

A slightly more generous (or desperate) villain will up the ante to We Can Rule Together instead.

Examples of Last Chance to Quit include:

Anime and Manga

• Chapters 222-225 of Mahou Sensei Negima has Fate give Negi two chances to walk away from the conflict offering safe passage back to the non-magical 'real' world for our hero and his friends. Negi seriously considers it.

Comics

• God does this repeatedly in Preacher (Comic Book): First by using Tulip as an intermediary, then Cassidy, and finally appearing to Jesse in person. He is denied three times.

Film

• In 300, Xerxes' initial offer to Sparta is to not interfere and be left alone as a vassal state. He later goes to We Can Rule Together by promising to make Leonidas a king.
• A notable case of good guy giving this to the good guys: in the movie Glory, Col. Shaw announces to the soldiers that the Confederate Army has declared it will execute any armed Black soldier and any white officer commanding them. Shaw states that in light of this information, anyone who wishes so will receive a full discharge from the Army. Nobody accepts, and like most things in the movie this actually happened.
• In Die Hard With a Vengeance, when Simon Peter Gruber realizes that once again, John McClane simply won't die, he attempts to bribe him with some of the stolen gold. John's response, "Or you can come out from that rock you're under and I'll drive this truck up your ass."
• The Operative in Serenity offers Mal the chance to turn over the Tams and leave unmolested. Because he's Dangerously Genre Savvy, he knows that Mal, being who he is, will refuse ahead of time, and even knows that neither money nor an appeal to principle will work - but he has to try first.
• Elizabeth to Mary in Mary Queen of Scots.
• The Rock has an unusual example of a villain giving one to another villain. General Hummel's subordinate Major Baxter wants to extend the deadline given to the Pentagon due to the failure of one rocket. Hummel attempts to...dissuade him.

Baxter (on phone): I want to talk to General Kramer. Hummel: You're being asked by an old friend. Baxter: Put him on the phone right now. Hummel: You're being ordered by a superior officer. Baxter: This is Major Baxter-- Hummel (drawing and aiming his sidearm): And now you're being given your last chance by a man with a gun.

• In Hackers, The Plague calls up Dade, while he and the hero hackers are hacking the Gibson, and tells him, "Last chance to get out of this without a prison sentence. You're not good enough to beat me, you little shit." Dade tells him, "Yeah, maybe I'm not, but we are, you asshole."

Live Action TV

• The new series Doctor lives on this trope. It is rare for someone to listen, which is a bit stupid considering his reputation.
• A brilliant scene in one episode of Babylon 5 in which Minbari warrior Neroon offers Ranger Marcus Cole the chance to back off and let him continue on his mission to assassinate Delenn. Marcus responds with a You Shall Not Pass.
  • In 4x18, Intersections In Real Time, the climax of the episode comes when the interrogator enquires whether the imprisoned antagonist will give up and agree to a public confession: "Do you understand that this is your last chance?" before sending him to be executed.
• The famous There are FOUR lights!!!! scene from the episode "Chain Of Command, Part 2" from Star Trek: The Next Generation features this.
  • The episode "The Defector" features the Enterprise surrounded by three Romulan warships. The smug Romulan commander Tomalok orders Picard to surrender and offers him this trope.

Tomolak: I give you 30 seconds to reconsider Captain. Picard: Tomolak, I do not require one.

Video Games

• Toward the end of Deus Ex, Bob Page gets increasingly desperate as you hinder his "preparations."

Bob Page: All right. I get the picture. You want a piece of the pie, or you're going to toss the whole pie out the window. Fair enough. You can have anything you want. How about Europe? Your own continent. Just let me complete my preparations.

• In Planescape: Torment, the Big Bad gives this offer to your party members -- but not to The Nameless One himself -- when you finally reach its lair. There are no takers. It leaves no survivors.
  • The backstory implies it did the same thing to The Practical Incarnation and his party. Of the people left over from that party at least two are alive (though in Morte's case that's figurative), which implies that some of them took it.
• In the Dragon campaign of Battle Realms, Zymeth offers Kenji a peace between the Dragon and Lotus clans because he believes The Serpent's Orb will make him invincible once he's unlocked its power. Kenji, who knows the orb is useless except as a Magic Feather, doesn't take it.

Zymeth: I'm giving you a chance to walk away, boy. Kenji: You're wasting your time.

Web Comics

• Order of the Stick has a twist on this, in that Xykon doesn't offer Roy a chance to leave because he doesn't want to hurt Roy, but because he doesn't feel Roy's worth his time and effort. When Roy refuses, Xykon very quickly decides to show him just how outclassed he is.
• Sarda gives the Dark Warriors this offer in Eight Bit Theater because he feels sorry for them.

Sarda: Look, I don't do this... uh, ever. But you guys are basically like kittens stuck on a leaking lifeboat in a typhoon. Just run.

• • They accept. Wisely.