History Main / DeadHatShot

* In ''WesternAnimation/AstroBoy'', Dr. Tenma's son is outright ''vaporized'' in an explosion caused by a rampaging robot called the Peacekeeper in front of numerous witnesses. Afterwards, Tenma finds only his son's red cap and a hair found within, literally all that is left of him, and immediately mourns his loss.

* The ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'' episode "The Needs of Three" ([=DP151=]) ended with Hunter J's ship being gunned down by Legendary Pokemon Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf, plummeting into a lake and exploding, killing everyone on board. Just right before the ship explodes, J's glasses, can be seen floating out of one of the damaged windows and rising out of the surface, implying her death. For a series that just [[NeverSayDie straight up avoids death]], this villain really has been written out of the show. She really is dead.

* Appeared in early storyboards for ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles''; the reason why the shot of Helen looking down at the sinking plane after it's shot down lingers for so long is because she was originally watching the hat of an old friend (the one she borrowed the plane from in the final cut) turned MauveShirt float past.

* After Judd is eaten by his pet crocodile Rocky in ''Film/EatenAlive'', his prosthetic leg floats to the surface of the croc's pool.

* This happens with the bowler-wearing fellow in ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis II''.

* In ''[[Film/LesMiserables2000 Les Misérables (2000)]]'', Javert [[SuicideBySea walks into the water]]. Doesn't even jump or dive. And his hat floats off his head. In the novel, and in the 1982 film, he leaves it on the parapet.

* In the 2000 ''Film/LesMiserables'' movie, Javert [[SuicideBySea walks into the water]]. Doesn't even jump or dive. And his hat floats off his head. In the novel, and in the 1982 film, he leaves it on the parapet.

* An episode of the BBC adaptation of ''Literature/TheSilverChair'' has a CliffhangerEnding of a shot of Puddleglum's hat under a rock thrown by the giants.

* Noble Six's broken helmet in the [[BookEnds opening and post-epilogue]] cutscenes of ''VideoGame/HaloReach''. During the epilogue, his final moments are shown from the discarded helmet's camera, [[TheUnreveal with his head just off-screen]].

* Non water variant: In Disney's ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'', the helmet of Shang's father is found in the snow after the troop reach a destroyed town.

When a character apparently ends up dead, there can be a shot of the lone NiceHat (or other clothes or belongings) of theirs.

* Not a drowning, but in ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' when Rena is killed by Takano's men, all we see is her NiceHat flying off with her screaming out her last breath in the background. This is shown to the viewer after the hat (stained with blood) is given to a catatonic Satoko.

* The guy in the [[NiceHat panama hat]] (listed in the credits as [[PersonWithTheClothing "Panama Hat"]]) from the opening sequence of ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheLastCrusade'' is implied to have died on his exploding freighter off the coast of Portugal when his hat is seen floating in the water near a swimming Indy.

* The discretion shot variety occurs in ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''. When Armus finds what's left of his partner, Harry, after Lex remotely pushes him into the path of a train, all we see is the mangled NiceHat Armus picks up--the rest is left below the shot.

* In ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption'', if the player shoots Javier Escuella off of his horse (using one of the rifles, like a Rolling Block Rifle, and [[BulletTime Dead Eye Targeting]] at the head), his [[NiceHat sombrero]] will get knocked off of his head and flutter down as his body falls off onto the ground. (Though normally his body and sombrero vanish after that shot, the next cutscene shows John carrying Javier's corpse {{over the shoulder|Carry}} into the jail cell, confirming his death.)

** An unproduced script centered around Boba Fett would have ended with a one-on-one shootout between him and Cad Bane. Both bounty hunters fire and Boba is injured, while all we see of Bane is his NiceHat drifting to the ground.

* This occurs to a ship-captain extra in the first act of the ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'' episode "Junklantis". Curiously, this ends in a shot that's almost an exact mirror of the picture above.

* ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' subverted due to a rare inversion of NeverFoundTheBody. You steal Minamoto's Hat and it acts as an InfinityPlusOneSword however his body didn't disappear meaning he's still [[DeadAllAlong as dead as he was for the rest of the game]].

* In the 2000 ''Film/LesMiserables'' movie, Javert walks into the water. Doesn't even jump or dive. And his hat floats off his head. In the novel, and in the 1982 film, he leaves it on the parapet. GenreSavvy, apparently.

* In the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis ''VideoGame/JurassicPark'' game, if you die as Dr. Alan Grant, his iconic hat comes to rest differently depending on how he died. If you die by a standard Dino attack, he falls flat on his back, his hat falling off his head and landing perfectly on his chest. If you are [[OneHitKill eaten by a T.Rex]], only his hat remains on screen as it slowly drifts to the ground. The trope is played straight if Grant falls in water, all that is left is his hat floating on the surface.

* In Disney's ''WesternAnimation/RobinHood'', the titular character [[InvokedTrope invokes this]] (complete with arrow through the hat) to [[FakingTheDead fool Prince John into thinking that he's dead]]. Nope, [[DisneyDeath not even close]].