Failure Gambit

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"See? Being defeated by the Mazoku was precisely the cathartic jolt he needed to resolve his inner turmoil and pay off his guilt." —Itsuki, Yu Yu Hakusho

Let's face it. Sometimes a villain's (and occasionally even a hero's) great big, all-encompassing master plan can be... a little convoluted. It might not make complete sense even after it's finally been thoroughly explained at the end of the day. But it's a special kind of deviant who is able to conjure a plan so incredibly obtuse that it hinges on their own defeat and will inevitably fail should they happen to win. Somehow, some way, someone has managed to twist the plot completely on its ass to the point that the only way for them to win is to lose, and the only way to lose is to win. That Magnificent Bastard.

This presents an especially dangerous situation to their opponent, who is usually out of the loop on this grand master plan. After all, what can the unwitting hero do when beating the bad guy means ending the world, and losing will actually save it? Sometimes a character seeks to become a political martyr in order to inspire others to take action after their crippling defeat (Inspirational Martyr), others might be tied to some ultimate power that will unleash itself upon their death (My Death Is Just the Beginning). Still, others don't seem to make any sense until after the plan has played out successfully— surprise! Turns out that ass-kicking you just gave them was all they needed to transcend the mortal coil and become a god.

The bottom line is, this is what you get when a character deliberately sets out to fail for some intended positive outcome. The failure of such a plan — that is, accidentally succeeding, or failing to fail — results in a Springtime for Hitler. Note that a scheme that has a beneficial outcome for the schemer whether he/she succeeds or fails is not an example of this trope, but of a Xanatos Gambit. In order to qualify here, the plan must be thought of well in advance, and it must completely hinge on failure. Without the threat of the plan failing if one fails to fail, it fails to qualify.

The plan usually relies to some extent on a Batman Gambit, and often one's only hope of overcoming the plan is to Sheathe Your Sword... or occasionally Take a Third Option.

This is often done by Chessmasters or Magnificent Bastards who intentionally let their enemies get what they want, mostly to distract them from the real goal.

The inverse of this trope is a Pyrrhic Victory — a successful endeavor that ultimately results in an undesirable outcome, which is usually what the opposing party of a Failure Gambit planner experiences. Gone Horribly Right also arguably qualifies. A Failure Gambit often overlaps with I Let You Win. A character who plans on taking harm in such a plan overlaps with Deliberate Injury Gambit. A character seeking to end his or her own life with such a plan also falls under Suicide by Cop, as well as Thanatos Gambit.

Springtime for Hitler is a Sub-Trope — specifically, a failed Failure Gambit. See also Throwing the Fight for a sports version. Compare Death Is the Only Option.

As an Ending Trope, Spoilers ahead may be unmarked. Beware.

Examples of Failure Gambit include:

Anime & Manga

• The villains of Yu Yu Hakusho tends to rely on this type of gambit quite often, which overlaps with Suicide by Cop.

Film

• Cars 2: Sir Miles Axlerod's plan hinges on this: Creating Allinol as a way to make alternative fuel look bad by setting up a scenario where deliberate sabotage of the race is the main plot. That is however, until Mater shows up, and gums up his plans, making the latter a Spanner in the Works.
• The Producers: Being the Trope Namer for Springtime for Hitler, the plot centers around financial fraud, hiring the wrong actors, the wrong screenwriters, and the wrong screenplay. In such a hilarious fashion, this ends up having the opposite effect.

Web Animation

• Reagan Moretti of Carnivorous Shadows usually relies on this type of gambit, along with her Xanatos Gambit, in order to meet a much larger goal. It's not surprising that in one episode, she intentionally lets Toper and his friends live, knowing full-well she couldn't devour the former like she wanted to. Turns out, she had bigger plans in mind, hence the reason why she intentionally failed.