History HeroicSacrifice / LiveACtionTV

*** The Ninth Doctor performed a similar feat in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E13ThePartingOfTheWays "The Parting of the Ways"]], when he absorbed the energies of the spacetime vortex from his companion, Rose Tyler, so that they would not kill her. Instead, they killed him, forcing him to regenerate. (Actually, this episode has lots of HeroicSacrifices, including the one made by the Doctor's other companion, Jack Harkness. He stands there and [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu flips off]] his enemy before giving a "come and get me" type gesture (he gets [[BackFromTheDead brought back to life]], though.) Brought back to life, but also CameBackWrong. The event made him physically ''incapable of death'' [[spoiler:for a few billion years, at least]]. He has it tough after that.

** Beyond those two big ones, Sam and Dean offer themselves up as HeroicSacrifices on multiple other occasions. One example is Dean with the djinn in season 2. He sacrificed the ability to stay in his "dream world" - one where he doesn't have to "be a hero" and can have a normal life, including having his mother alive and his kid brother happy and not demon tainted - after realizing that in that world, all the people who the Winchesters have saved over the years are instead dead. The means for "returning" to the real world? He had to die. (Which could very easily tie this one back into DrivenToSuicide, but this is * Dean* we're talking about; the two often aren't exactly far from each other when it comes to his motivations!)

* In episode 5 of ''Series/Loki2021'', [[spoiler:Classic Loki sacrifices himself to [[EldrichAbomination Alioth]], distracting it with an illusion of Asgard long enough for Loki and Sylvie to enchant it and enter the Citadel]].

** In ''Series/KamenRiderFaiz'' Yuji Kiba sacrifices himself against the [[BigBad Orphenoch King]] so Takumi Inui/Kamen Rider Faiz gets the chance to finish him off.

*** In the Direct-to-DVD crossover special ''Kamen Rider Yongou'', released during ''Series/KamenRiderDrive'''s run, the evil organization Shocker uses a machine to trap the Kamen Riders in a GroundhogDayLoop, giving Shocker the time to strengthen their army. Each time one of the Riders dies, the loop resets. In the end, it is revealed [[Series/KamenRiderFaiz Takumi Inui]] keeps the loop active with his desire keep everyone he cares for alive, making him the anchor for the loops. In the original timeline, he was supposed to have died after the events of ''555'', but with Shocker's meddling of history, Takumi survived. If the original timeline is restored, Takumi would cease to exist. In true heroic fashion, Takumi destroys Shocker's time machine and restores the timeline to normal, at the cost of his own life.

** "In Praise of Pip" is about Max Phillips, a bookie who learns his son, Pip, was seriously wounded in Vietnam and is possibly dying. After getting in a serious argument with his boss, Max ends up getting shot and stumbles into a darkened amusement park. There he finds Pip as a ten year old, hugging him, apologizing for not being a better father or role model, and begging for him not to die. Knowing it may be too late for both of them, Max pleads with God to take his life in exchange for Pip's. God obliges.
** "The Changing of the Guard": A teacher forced into early retirement questions if he's made any impact on the world. He's visited by the ghosts of some of his former students who all gave their lives to save others. One was killed at Iwo Jima, another died as a result of experiments into X-ray treatment for cancer, yet another saved twelve men on the USS ''Arizona'' during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and all alongside so many others. They were inspired by lessons he taught them.

** In "Profile in Silver", Professor Joseph Fitzgerald, a time traveler from 2172, allows himself to be assassinated on November 22, 1963 in place of his FamousAncestor UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy, whom he [[TimeTravelEscape sent to his own time to save his life]].
** In "The Last Defender of Camelot", Morgan le Fay engages in a magical battle with Myth/{{Merlin}}, knowing that he is far more powerful than her and that she has little prospect of victory. She does so in order to save Lancelot and Tom's lives and to prevent Merlin from taking over the world. Merlin manages to defeat her and she dies shortly afterwards.

** Ingtar and Masema dress in the garb of Seanchan soldiers when trying to escape Falme during the Season 2 finale.

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime2021'': In "Eyes Without Pity" [[spoiler:Ryma Sedai and Basan, her Warder, sacrifice themselves by openly battling with Seanchan to help Egwene escape, knowing that it will likely end with them both dead. Basan is killed, Ryma wounded, captured and enslaved.]]

* In season two of ''Series/TheVampireDiaries'', Stefan Salvatore sacrifices himself by handing himself over to Klaus in order to get the cure for Damon when he is dying from a fatal werewolf bite. During this process, Stefan is forced by Klaus to shut off his humanity, become the blood addicted Ripper and to torture and kill innocents.
** And in the third season finale, Elena insists that Stefan rescue Matt while the two of them are drowning, mirroring how Elena's father insisted Stefan save Elena before the show began.