History DyingMomentOfAwesome / LiveActionTV

* Detective Roy Montgomery in ''Series/{{Castle}}''. It's revealed he's been lying to them since the start about his involvement in whoever it was who killed Beckett's mother. But rather than go down easy he lures four trained killers to one location, tells Beckett almost everything and goes down shooting. His final act is to shoot the last of the four monsters with a concealed derringer.

* In [[Recap/StarTrekEnterpriseS04E22TheseAreTheVoyages the final episode]] of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' Trip kills himself and the party of invading aliens by rigging a plasma relay to explode. His final words are "One more thing. You can all go straight to hell!" Although since this episode was very badly thought-of for various reasons, according to the Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse his death was faked by Section 31.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS2E65TheObsoleteMan The Obsolete Man]]" is one long one for Romney Wordsworth. He has been deemed obsolete due to his occupation as a librarian and sentenced to death. However, he's allowed to choose his method of execution. He chooses to have a bomb go off in his room and for the event to be televised. With less than half an hour to go, the Chancellor who ordered his execution decides to pay him one last visit and gloat about the superiority of the state's methods...which Wordsworth uses to lock him inside. Both men claim to FaceDeathWithDignity, but while Wordsworth calmly spends his final moments reading from his Bible, the Chancellor ultimately cracks and begs to God to be let out. Wordsworth frees him seconds before the bomb goes off and dies, but the Chancellor now has to face the reality that he showed great weakness and begged to God (who he claimed that the state had proven nonexistent) on live television. As such, ''he'' is declared obsolete -- something Wordsworth surely new would happen. The ending implies he's also given the much more painful death of being ripped limb from limb by an angry mob.

* ''Series/{{Jericho}}'' has Bonnie going down shooting while her home is being invaded. Did I mention she's a deaf teenage girl?

%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order.

** In the season 4 finale, [[EvilCripple Hector Salamanca]] of all people gets one of these. After having spent years refusing to even look at his tormentor, [[BigBad Gus Fring]], once Fring arrives to kill him and says "This is your last chance to look at me Hector," he receives one of the angriest looks in the history of television before Hector dings his bell one last time to activate the bomb that [[EnemyMine Walt attached to his chair]] [[SuicideAttack killing himself]] [[TakingYouWithMe and taking Gus and his mook down with him]] in spectacular fashion.

* In ''Series/ChinesePaladin'', Yue'Ru's HeroicSacrifice: she pulls a PercussivePrevention on two characters--both stronger combatants than her ''and'' who were both expecting it--and hurls them out of harm's way. She then has just enough time to smile reassuringly before being crushed by the CollapsingLair.

* In one fourth-season episode of Sixties ''Franchise/{{Dragnet}}'', a cop is mortally wounded while saving bystanders from a gunman.
* ''Series/FallingSkies'' has two in season 4. First the 2nd Mass is pinned down by Espheni led by an overlord with a personal vendetta against Tom Mason. While the others hide, [[spoiler: Tector]] takes a long-range shot at the overlord's head and misses by an inch. Skitters swarm him. He opens his coat, says, "Tick, tick, boom!" and all of them up.

** The death of Zhaan, who's already dying of a terminal illness after reviving Aeryn in the season 3 premiere. Moya and a Pathfinder vessel are entangled and trapped in the periphery of a wormhole, and the only way out is to steer one of the two ships into the wormhole where it will be ejected, but the other will be ripped apart by tidal forces. Zhaan calmly walks onto the bridge of the Pathfinder vessel, turns it so Moya will be pushed into the the mouth of the wormhole, and engages the engines. She even has time to send Stark (who is having a panic attack when he realizes Zhaan's intent) a telepathic message, before calmly waving good-bye to Crichton and Aeryn as they watch.

** In the penultimate episode of season 3, Crichton's attempts to sabotage Scorpius's wormhole project are failing, and Moya's crew has been captured. It turns out, Crais knew all along that Crichton's efforts would be in vain, so comes up with a plan of his own: Have Talyn engage [=StarBurst=] while contained inside the Command Carrier. The resulting release of energy will cause the ship to collapse upon itself, destroying the vessel while still giving time for the crew to escape. Crais secures Talyn's assistance, and delivers an ''epic'' ReasonYouSuckSpeech to Scorpius. He then stands at attention, closes his eyes, and disappears in a ball of fire as he gives the order.

* ''Series/LegendsOfTomorrow'': [[spoiler:Captain Cold]], of all people, sacrifices himself to destroy the machine that allows the Time Masters to observe and control the timeline, which has a failsafe requiring someone to stay and hold it down. Time Master Druce arrives and orders him to shut it down, and his response - and last words - is a snarled "There are no strings on me", before the big boom.

** ''Series/PowerRangersInSpace'': Just when you think the IAmSpartacus scene in the finale was the bar-none moment for the series, Zordon's sacrifice shortly afterwards nearly supplants it, convincing Andros to shatter his tube. The resulting wave destroys every monster in the entire universe, bringing peace to everyone...until next season.

* In ''Series/{{Primeval}}'', Cutter calmly mocks Helen's time- changing scheme: "You know what, Helen? You're not as smart as I thought you were." That she shoots him immediately after just seems to prove him right.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS2E65TheObsoleteMan The Obsolete Man]]" is one long one for Romney Wordsworth. He has been deemed obsolete due to his occupation as a librarian and sentenced to death. However, he's allowed to choose his method of execution. He chooses to have a bomb go off in his room and for the event to be televised. With less than half an hour to go, the Chancellor who ordered his execution decides to pay him one last visit and gloat about the superiority of the state's methods...which Wordsworth uses to lock him inside. Both men claim to FaceDeathWithDignity, but while Wordsworth calmly spends his final moments reading from his Bible, the Chancellor ultimately cracks and begs to God to be let out. Wordsworth frees him seconds before the bomb goes off and dies, but the Chancellor now has to face the reality that he showed great weakness and begged to God (who he claimed that the state had proven nonexistent) on live television. As such, ''he'' is declared obsolete- something Wordsworth surely new would happen. The ending implies he's also given the much more painful death of being ripped limb from limb by an angry mob.

** Repeated by Elena for Matt in the season 3 finale.

** Even after Lord Commander Mormont is stabbed in the back, he tries to choke his killer to death one-handed. Unfortunately, RealityEnsues and his strength fails, allowing his assailant to finish him off.

** Villainous example: Dick Roman in "Survival of the Fittest" [[GoOutWithASmile goes out with a smile]]-not because he's succeeded, but because he's had the last laugh. The explosion caused by Dean killing him drags an unsuspecting Dean and Castiel to Purgatory.

** Castiel's FinalDeath in "Despair", where he [[SummonBiggerFish summons]] [[EldritchAbomination the Shadow]] so that it can drag [[TheGrimReaper Billie]] into [[TheNothingAfterDeath the Empty]], despite [[HeroicSacrifice knowing full well]] that the Shadow intends to take him too.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': "[[Recap/TheTwilightZone1959S2E29TheObsoleteMan The Obsolete Man]]" is one long one for Romney Wordsworth. He has been deemed obsolete due to his occupation as a librarian and sentenced to death. However, he's allowed to choose his method of execution. He chooses to have a bomb go off in his room and for the event to be televised. With less than half an hour to go, the Chancellor who ordered his execution decides to pay him one last visit and gloat about the superiority of the state's methods...which Wordsworth uses to lock him inside. Both men claim to FaceDeathWithDignity, but while Wordsworth calmly spends his final moments reading from his Bible, the Chancellor ultimately cracks and begs to God to be let out. Wordsworth frees him seconds before the bomb goes off and dies, but the Chancellor now has to face the reality that he showed great weakness and begged to God (who he claimed that the state had proven nonexistent) on live television. As such, ''he'' is declared obsolete- something Wordsworth surely new would happen. The ending implies he's also given the much more painful death of being ripped limb from limb by an angry mob.

* ''Series/{{Vikings}}': Already mortally wounded and rumored to be dead, Bjorn Ironside dons his armor and rides at the front of his army one last time. He faces down a Rus' archer and takes three arrows to the chest, terrifying the invading army with his apparent immortality. With his last breath, his raises his sword to signal his army's attack and dies on his horse.

* ''Series/{{Vikings}}''
** Already mortally wounded and rumored to be dead, Bjorn Ironside dons his armor and rides at the front of his army one last time. He faces down a Rus' archer and takes three arrows to the chest, terrifying the invading army with his apparent immortality. With his last breath, his raises his sword to signal his army's attack and dies on his horse.

* The episode of ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' entitled "Blaze of Glory" has Eddington go down fighting against a horde of Jem'Hadar.

** The captain and crew of the ''Enterprise-C'' (TNG Yesterday's Enterprise) took on a Romulan task force attacking a lightly-defended Klingon colony. Despite knowing they were going to certain death, they gave the Romulans a good fight. This act of bravery was the single reason that the Federation and Klingons avoided a full-scale war and eventually became allies. A war that claimed at least ''40 billion lives''. Make sure that history never forgets the name ''Enterprise'' indeed.
* In the final episode of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' Trip kills himself and the party of invading aliens by rigging a plasma relay to explode. His final words are "One more thing. You can all go straight to hell!" Although since this episode was very badly thought-of for various reasons, according to the Literature/StarTrekNovelVerse his death was faked by Section 31.
* The conclusion to the 2 part episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' entitled "Equinox" has Captain Ransom go down with his ship by piloting it out to space while a hoard of angry aliens attack and destroy it. This also counts as RedemptionEqualsDeath.
** Janeway also pulls one off in the climax to Year of Hell when she, as the last person aboard, sets a collision course and rams a crippled Voyager into Anorax's Time Ship. She also hit the reset button on her way so she's alive after time resets, but its still awesome. She even manages to get in a PreMortemOneLiner while staring directly at the Time Ship through the hull breach Anorax blew into the bridge.

** Another example would be in the episode "Deadlock", the ship had been duplicated by some NegativeSpaceWedgie, one of the duplicates has been overrun by aliens harvesting organs, and that ship's Janeway sets the auto-destruct (on silent mode). When the bad guys show up on the bridge, Janeway has just time enough for a smile and a PreMortemOneLiner (''"Welcome to the bridge"'') before one of them sees the destruct countdown ([[ShoutOut just like the Klingons on the original]] ''[[Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock Enterprise]]'') and [[OhCrap they realize they are going to lose]].
** Harry Kim, having been [[TheyKilledKennyAgain killed repeatedly]], gets more than one: his BigYes as he saves Voyager in "Timeless", and his [[spoiler:biomimetic copy's]] stint as acting Captain in "Course: Oblivion", in which EnsignNewbie demonstrates himself to be a clear-headed commander who [[DoNotGoGentle refuses to go gentle]] even as Voyager's situation grows increasingly doomed.

* ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'': "The Obsolete Man" is one long one for Romney Wordsworth. He has been deemed obsolete due to his occupation as a librarian and sentenced to death. However, he's allowed to choose his method of execution. He chooses to have a bomb go off in his room and for the event to be televised. With less than half an hour to go, the Chancellor who ordered his execution decides to pay him one last visit and gloat about the superiority of the state's methods...which Wordsworth uses to lock him inside. Both men claim to FaceDeathWithDignity, but while Wordsworth calmly spends his final moments reading from his Bible, the Chancellor ultimately cracks and begs to God to be let out. Wordsworth frees him seconds before the bomb goes off and dies, but the Chancellor now has to face the reality that he showed great weakness and begged to God (who he claimed that the state had proven nonexistent) on live television. As such, ''he'' is declared obsolete- something Wordsworth surely new would happen. The ending implies he's also given the much more painful death of being ripped limb from limb by an angry mob.

* Bodie's death in season four of ''Series/TheWire''. He realizes that the two figures stalking him in the night are Chris Partlow and "Snoop" Pearson, [[ProfessionalKillers the top drug assassins]] in Baltimore who have carried out literally dozens of murders for their power-mad boss Marlo. Everyone who has been confronted by Chris and/or Snoop up to that point has either [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere run for their lives]] or begged (futilely) for mercy. Bodie decides to [[LastStand go out fighting]]. He grabs a hidden gun and makes the two of them run and duck behind parked cars for cover, all while shouting at them to BringIt. Too bad Chris and Snoop are just [[WeNeedADistraction a diversion]], occupying Bodie's attention while a third shooter sneaks up on him...

** The captain and crew of the ''Enterprise-C'' (TNG Yesterday's Enterprise) took on a Romulan task force attacking a lightly-defended Klingon colony. Despite knowing they were going to certain death, they gave the Romulans a good fight. This act of bravery was the single reason that the Federation and Klingons avoided a full-scale war and eventually became allies.

* John Basilone at [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo Iwo Jima]] in ''Series/ThePacific''. Everything he did leading up to the death was superbly badass and his actions saved many lives in what bloodbath.

** Oliver himself gets one during ''Series/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths2019''. The assembled heroes are fighting off the Anti-Monitor's Shadow Demons to protect the quantum tower that's holding back the anti-matter wave approaching Earth-38 in order to buy time for the population to be evacuated, and when it becomes clear that they can't hold off the [[ZergRush endless waves of enemies]], the Monitor teleports them back to Earth-1. Oliver, however, refuses to leave while there are still people to save, and keeps fighting; when he runs out of arrows, he drops his bow, gives a [[DefiantToTheEnd defiant yell]], and charges the demons, fighting with his bare hands until finally being overwhelmed. According to the Monitor, this bought enough time for an additional ''billion'' people to escape.

* In the final episode of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' Trip kills himself and the party of invading aliens by rigging a plasma relay to explode. His final words are "One more thing. You can all go straight to hell!" Although since this episode was very badly thought-of for various reasons, according to the Franchise/StarTrekNovelVerse his death was faked by Section 31.

** During the siege of the White House Bill Buchanan tackles a Mook and fires his gun into the gas filled air. The resulting explosion kills him and most of [[DiscOneFinalBoss Benjamin]] [[FourStarBadass Juma]]'s strike force, acts a signal for the FBI to storm the building, and gives Jack the chance to move. His actions saved everyone in the building, including The President. Both this and George Mason's death are a case of them recognizing that Jack is too valuable an asset and preempting his HeroicSacrifice.

'''Jack''': True. But I can keep you down here with me. (''Jack opens up his jacket to reveal C4 and a detonator'') You beat death Arvin. But you couldn't beat me. (''Detonates the bomb, [[AndIMustScream trapping Arvin, forever]]'').
* ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryApocalypse'': In the finale, as [[TheAntiChrist Michael]] is killing off the remaining witches, [[BigGood Cordelia]] confronts him head on. She gives him a scathing TheReasonYouSuckSpeech about what a ManChild he is, and then [[HeroicSuicide kills herself]], knowing that Mallory will therefore fully inherit the mantle of Supreme and become powerful enough to [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong go back in time and kill Michael before he fully developed his powers]]. Special note to the line Cordelia closes with:

** The death of Zhaan, who's already dying of a terminal illness after reviving Aeryn in the season 3 premier. Moya and a Pathfinder vessel are entangled and trapped in the periphery of a wormhole, and the only way out is to steer one of the two ships into the wormhole where it will be ejected, but the other will be ripped apart by tidal forces. Zhaan calmly walks onto the bridge of the Pathfinder vessel, turns it so Moya will be pushed into the the mouth of the wormhole, and engages the engines. She even has time to send Stark (who is having a panic attack when he realizes Zhaan's intent) a telepathic message, before calmly waving good-bye to Crichton and Aeryn as they watch.

** It didn't take, but Matt Parkman's momentary death in Volume 5 is also seen as one for the series. Sylar's been trapped inside Matt's head for a few episodes now.Sylar's been using this connection to make Matt do his bidding. Eventually Sylar supplants Matt as the primary controller of Matt's body even! This leads up to the climax of the storyline in "Shadowboxing", where Matt realizes that he'd rather be dead than let Sylar continue to terrorize people. He momentarily takes control of his own body to trick Sylar into writing down that he plans to kill everyone in the Burnt Toast Diner. As Matt-Sylar leaves, the owner calls the cops. The cops surround Matt-Sylar in the parking lot. Matt uses one lst bit of telepathy to control his body into acting like it's gonna pull a gun on the cops, forcing them to shoot him to death, ending Sylar's reign of terror...for about half an episode.

*** Dr. Janet Frasier is killed in the battlefield while tending to a wounded airman, ultimately saving his life. The same episode had been built up to suggest it was either that random soldier who died or one of the titular four SG-1 characters (Jack O'Neill). Janet dying, after being in the show for so long and having become a fan favorite after having started off as simply 'a necessary character'; and as someone who a lot of people would argue somehow almost always seemed 'safe'; her death was one of the most beautiful and heart breaking in the series for alot of people.

** In the ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' episode "The Last Man", alternate universe versions of Todd and Ronon get a DyingMomentOfAwesome. Todd and Ronon run into each other on separate missions to blow up one of Michael's bases. They get trapped, decided to team up even though they hate each other and take out the base. Even more awesomely, as they are fighting Michael's soliders in their final moments, they dispose of all their enemies and then turn their weapons on each other, saying "Force of habit." In the same episode Sam gets one too. After her ship is crippled, she rams it into the enemy, taking down three Hive ships with her.

** Janeway also pulls one off in the climax to Year of Hell when she, as the last person aboard, sets a collision course and rams a crippled Voyager into Anorax's Time Ship. She also hit the reset button on her way so she's alive after time resets, but its still awesome. She even manges to get in a PreMortemOneLiner while staring directly at the Time Ship through the hull breach Anorax blew into the bridge.

** Another example would be in the episode "Deadlock", the ship had been duplicated by some NegativeSpaceWedgie, one of the duplicates has been overrun by aliens harvesting organs, and that ship's Janeway sets the auto destruct (on silent mode). When the bad guys show up on the bridge, Janeway has just time enough for a smile and a PreMortemOneLiner (''"Welcome to the bridge"'') before one of them sees the destruct countdown ([[ShoutOut just like the Klingons on the original]] ''[[Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock Enterprise]]'') and [[OhCrap they realize they are going to lose]].

* Bodie's death in season four of ''Series/TheWire''. He realizes that the two figures stalking him in the night are Chris Partlow and "Snoop" Pearson, [[ProfessionalKillers the top drug assassins]] in Baltimore who have carried out literally dozens of murders for their power mad boss Marlo. Everyone who has been confronted by Chris and/or Snoop up to that point has either [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere run for their lives]] or begged (futilely) for mercy. Bodie decides to [[LastStand go out fighting]]. He grabs a hidden gun and makes the two of them run and duck behind parked cars for cover, all while shouting at them to BringIt. Too bad Chris and Snoop are just [[WeNeedADistraction a diversion]], occupying Bodie's attention while a third shooter sneaks up on him...
-->'''Bodie:''' Yo, this is my corner. I ain't runnin ''nowhere!'' [[BringIt Come on with it, motherfuckers]]!