History Main / DeathfromAbove

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** ''ComicBook/TheKryptonChronicles'' reveals that Kryptonians deployed this kind of weapons during their last pre-unification War: the city of Kandor tried to end up the conflict by dropping mountain-sized flaming disintegrating fireballs on the city of Erkol, which retaliated by launching an robot-aircraft armed with a massive sun-powered beam which turned Kryptonopolis into a blackened hole within minutes.
--->"The robot-craft as powered by the Sun-- and used sunlight as its weapon... Swiftly, its beam swept across Kryptonopolis, leaving blackened devastation in its wake... When its mission was finished, nothing was left standing in Kryptonopolis... and no one was left living!"

* In ''Film/TheSkydivers'', Suzy and Frank are gunnecd down from air.

* In ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'', the Decepticons attacks the Earth by crash landing in different parts of the world and then demands the surrender of Sam Witwicky to them or they destroy the world.

* Franchise/StarTrek has shown cases of orbital bombardment a few times, and discussed the possibility a few times more. "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E17APieceOfTheAction A Piece of the Action]]" had ''non-lethal'' orbital bombardment (a precision phaser blast from the ''Enterprise'' set on stun).

** In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'', the player has a nightmare vision of Manhattan under attack by the sky city of Columbia, emerging from moonlit clouds to rain fire on its streets. Later, [[spoiler:the dream turns out to be a premonition of a BadFuture timeline in which a brainwashed Elizabeth assumes power over the city and uses it and her vast transdimensional powers to conquer the world (and possibly the {{Multiverse}})]].

** The BigBad, Alduin, has a unique Dragon Shout that only he can perform. The effects are telling: the sky turns darker, a vortex of clouds appears in the sky, and ''meteors start falling down''. This is so effective that, in a FanVid, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM1ORuAy9yA 100 archers]] can easily kill three [[EliteMooks Elder Dragons]], but all of them are annihilated by this move alone by Alduin.

* ''VideoGame/{{Godus}}'': The metor power allows to you wipe out anything in a small area, creating a nice crater in the process.

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' introduces a combat technique called the Finishing Blow, a OneHitKill that involves Link jumping very high in the air and coming down to [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impale the foe]] on his sword. The same technique reappears in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]''. In both games, [[spoiler: it is used to finish the final boss]].

** The game loves doing this with its bosses. The final bosses of Episodes 1, 2, and 4 each have an attack that rains destruction on the party. Dark Falz has "Heaven Punishment," in which he puts a slow-down effect on the party before firing skywards, raining beams of light down randomly (which are somehow dodgeable), Olga Flow has "God's Punishment" which is an instant kill if it connects, and the snake trio in Episode 4 has "Divine Punishment" which fires down a single beam that causes a shockwave that can't be avoided, but does less damage the farther away you are.

* ''VideoGame/ShellshockLive'': Several weapons launch a flare-type projectile that calls down an air strike of various projectiles, from simple explosives, to carpet rains, to...[[AbnormalAmmo cactus and bouncy balls]].

* ''Videogame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'': Three of the Imperial classes' abilites fit the bill. The Imperial Agent's Orbital Bombardment skill calls in a KillSat, the Inquisitor can conquer a storm of lightning strikes, and the [[HiredGuns Bounty Hunter]]'s is even called "Death From Above", flying into the air and raining missiles down from above.

** The Zephyr Warframe excels at this trope. One of her powers launches her high in to the air, where players can take advantage of her lowered gravity to rain rockets and gunfire on helpless enemies below. She also has the Dive Bomb power that immediately [[GroundPound launches her straight in to the ground]] where she produces a [[ShockwaveStomp damaging shockwave]] garunteed to knockdown almost all enemies in the game. And the damage out of this power grows the further she falls.

* ''WebVideo/WorldWarTwo'': The series covers the war's critical aspect of air forces deployed against ground targets. Scores of soldiers and civilians alike will die over the course of the conflict from bombs and strafing runs by aircraft machineguns and cannon.

** Occurs in the finale when [[spoiler:The Fire Nation decides that it'll be easier to rebuild after wiping out the Earth Kingdom with their fleet of airships and the powerboost from the Comet than ruling over it.]]

** Hail. Hailstones the size of golfballs can cause major injury especially if falling at high enough speed or blown about by high winds. Once hail reaches orange/tennis ball size, it is fatal to humans and animals trapped out in it unless they can find immediate cover for their head. Baseball size and beyond is even worse, in that it can both smash through vehicles and any glass (just as golf ball or higher can), ''and'' is big enough to kill anyone who, say, gets out of the car to check out the damage or who survived the glass fusillade in their greenhouse.

* Flechette weapons, such as the American [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazy_Dog_(bomb) Lazy Dog]], mostly used from World War II to the Vietnam War. The flechettes are small metal darts, packed together until dispersed from their container to blanket the target area, impacting with sufficent velocity to shred anyone outside an armored vehicle.

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* In Creator/JackMcDevitt's ''Literature/TheAcademyNovels'', the Omega Clouds are gigantic, mysterious artifacts which travel through the galaxy, coming in waves about 8,000 years apart. They investigate planets they pass, and rain down electrical death from the skies on any civilization foolish enough to use right angles in their architecture.
* In the ''Literature/AgeOfFire'' series, this is how [[ActionGirl Wistala]] finishes off [[EvilOverlord Gobold Fangbreaker]]. When she sees him and his PraetorianGuard fleeing from the siege of his fortress on boat, she grabs a fallen longpoon (an artillery projectile that's basically a giant harpoon with a ball-and-chain on one end), carries it as far into the air as she can, and then drops it on the boat. Gobold is presumably either crushed or drowned in the process.
* ''Literature/{{Anathem}}'' had Rodding. Very simple. Drop a large dense rod from orbit at hypersonic speeds [[spoiler:into a dormant volcano]]. Boom. Repeat.
* Three or more times in ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' they have a plan that involved having one of them (usually Cassie) fly as high as possible, then turn into a whale over water. Proof that Nice doesn't mean Weak, because she (like all of them) has to turn human in between.

* In the ''[[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Narnia]]'' book ''The Horse and His Boy,'' the main villain, having somehow found himself at a higher elevation than his enemies, declares "The bolt of Tash falls from above!" leaping upon his enemies... and getting caught on a hook halfway down to dangle helplessly for the rest of the battle. As if that wasn't bad enough, the villain -- having not learned his lesson -- repeats the above line again during a rant against the heroes, prompting one of them to [[DeadpanSnarker rub it in]] by asking, "Does it ever get caught on a hook halfway?" Apparently, yes, it does.
* Since flying warriors (Knights Aeris) are pretty much standard in any army in ''Literature/CodexAlera'', this was inevitable. But Tavi's idea for how to use his vast numbers of mediocre Knights (most of whom couldn't fly properly) against an army in the third book really takes the cake: [[spoiler:he had them scale up a telescope spell, and had Max use the giant lens to turn the sunlight into a freaking ''DeathRay''.]]
* In ''[[Literature/{{Conqueror}} Bones of the Hills]]'', when Jochi and Jebe are being pursued by Khalifa, Jochi sarcastically suggests dropping boulders on the Arabs. Jebe thinks that's a great idea. And it works.

--> '''flying bot''': Crackdown in this area is forecast in ten minutes. Don your protective clothing or seek chthonic safety.
--> '''flying bot''': Crackdown! Crackdown! Beware of the eggs!

* The Western Galactic Empire of Robert Zubrin's ''Literature/TheHolyLand'' uses Psioray bombardment. Capable of wide-area bombardment, accurate to within one-tenth of a percent of the range fired, can be tuned to only affect specific groups of beings (even more specifically than species), and reduces the targets to less than an inch in height, while leaving, for instance, local birds, lizards, and predatory insects the same size.
* From the ''Literature/LegacyOfTheAldenata'' series by Creator/JohnRingo:

* As might be expected, the [[LensmanArmsRace Lensmen get into this particular Arms Race]]. If you're ''lucky'', they're just tossing bombs at you. If you get them ''really'' mad, they target you with [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale a couple of planets moving at several times]] ''[[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale c]]''. With diametrically opposed vectors. It's called the "nutcracker", and the results are described as the creation of a new, temporary star.
* Bomber planes rain down destruction during the final battle in ''Literature/TheLeonardRegime''.
* A similar system is described in Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/TheMoonIsAHarshMistress'', where a Moon colony uses metal-sheathed multiton rocks tossed at Earth as a weapon -- a highly effective and cheap weapon -- which would strike any point on Earth with the energy of a tactical nuclear strike.
* The Kinetic-Energy Harpoon is mentioned, although not used on-page, in Peter F. Hamilton's "The Nano Flower"; described as a "poor man's nuke"[[note]]Just a big lump of metal with an ablative heat-shield, although you do have to factor in how much it costs to get it into space and then bring it down again[[/note]], they were apparently used in the Slamdown War. That resulted in massive campaign to get a defensive system in orbit, designed specifically to stop them ever being used again.
* Zeus's Master Lightning Bolt in the ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' series is a prime example of this trope.
-->"A two-foot long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives." "The bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."

* ''The Reality Dysfunction'' (part of the ''Literature/NightsDawn'' trilogy by Creator/PeterFHamilton). A special forces team floating down a river through enemy territory get some sudden and unexpected support when 5,000 precision-guided kinetic energy harpoons fired from a spaceship slam into the banks on either side. The harpoons are falling so fast no-one hears them until after they land. Then they ''really'' hear them.
* In the Darkwar Trilogy of the ''Literature/RiftwarCycle'', an epic-level demon is going through a portal connecting from the Dasati dimension to the [[spoiler:world of Kelewan]]. Pug's answer? Evacuate the world and drop the moon on top of the portal. He did it a couple of decades before, by firebombing the flagship of an invading fleet. His fireball bounced back, however.

* The "Hard Rain" in ''Literature/{{Seveneves}}'' consists of a 5,000 year long bombardment of Earth by pieces of the [[DetonationMoon mysteriously exploded Moon]] [[spoiler: sterilizing the surface of the Earth]].

* ''Sky Masters'' by Creator/DaleBrown, a Chinese destroyer was about to nuke the city of Davao, the Americans neutralized it by dropping a satellite right on top of it.

* The final chapter of ''Literature/TheTenetsOfFutilism'' ends with the protagonist and her family dying after months of hiding out on Alcatraz Island. Their cause of death? Missile fire from a predator drone sent by the American government.

* In the ''Literature/WingCommander'' novel ''Fleet Action'', multiple Terran Confederation planets are bombarded from orbit by a massive [[CatFolk Kilrathi]] fleet the humans are unable to stop, using {{antimatter}} warheads and dirty nukes specifically employed to sterilize worlds.
* In Antti Tuuri's ''Literature/TheWinterWar'', Russian artillery bombardments and harassing airplanes are present more often than not.
* Mentioned to have happened in the history of Wellakh in the ''Literature/YoungWizards'' series: their sun is somewhat unstable and flared, burning half the planet to a featureless plain and killing anyone who was there at the time, along with a good number of their wizards in the effort to stop it.

-->Death from above - The hellfire will soon be unleashed
-->Death rips the sky - Domination gives praise to the beast
-->Death from above - Explosions is tearing your soul
-->Death rips the sky - The bombing is reaching its goal
-->Death from above - Death or glory, there is no way back
-->Death rips the sky - Attack, attack, attack!

* The sweet Music/ReginaSpektor has the sweetest song "The Sword and the Pen", which has the lines:
-->What if the sword kills the pen
-->what if God kills the man
-->and if He does it with love
-->well then it's death from above
-->and death from above is still death

-->Burn burn
-->rage of the heavens
-->burn burn
-->death from above
-->die die
-->merciless killing
-->burn burn
-->death from above

-->Flyin' in on the wings of destruction
-->with freedom in our eyes
-->it's the death from above
-->and everybody dies
* The lyrics of the song "For Whom the Bell Tolls" of Music/{{Metallica}} alludes to a scene described in the [[Literature/ForWhomtheBellTolls book of the same name]], in which several soldiers die by an airstrike after taking defensive positions on a hill.

* ''VideoGame/AceCombat''. Many missions are ground attack missions, and you usually can pick how to rain death the enemy. Comes in flavors of multi-targeting missiles, [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill fuel-air explosive bombs]] (just picture a very small nuke explosion), anti-ship missiles, fire-and-forget bomblet dispensers, more bombs of other sizes, bomblet dropping, and [[MacrossMissileMassacre rocket spam.]] That's not counting the death ray of a [[MoreDakka machine gun]] the A-10A has. Did I mention even a fighter can use many of these? It's not just multiroles or attackers anymore.

* ''VideoGame/BioShock2'': In the opening sequence, your character jumps off a balcony, right foot first. Did I forget to mention that [[spoiler: an enemy's head is directly below your right foot when you do it? If you're curious, 500 pounds of force on someone's head via a diving boot tends to end a conflict]].
* In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'', the player has a nightmare vision of Manhattan under attack by the sky city of Columbia, emerging from moonlit clouds to rain righteous fire on its heathen streets. Later, [[spoiler:the dream turns out to be a premonition of a BadFuture timeline in which a brainwashed Elizabeth assumes power over the city and uses it and her vast transdimensional powers to conquer the world (and possibly the {{Multiverse}})]]

* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty 4: VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' has a level called ''Death From Above'' in which you provide close air support from an AC-130U gunship. For the uneducated, the AC-130U has a left-side-mounted 25mm [[GatlingGood GAU-12 Equalizer]], one 40 mm L/60 Bofors cannon and one 105 mm M102 howitzer. The Bofors was usually used as an AA gun, and the M102 is usually used in an indirect-fire artillery role. Using it as a direct-fire weapon from the side of a large cargo plane was something of a stroke of genius. Check [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_AC-130 more.]]
** You can also call in airstrikes and gunships during missions like "Safehouse" and "Heat," or during multiplayer if you can kill enough people without dying yourself.
** SequelEscalation gives ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2'''s multiplayer sentry guns that drop for you to place, a missile from a Predator drone for you to control as it falls, a targeted air strike, a Harrier airstrike followed by a fourth Harrier that loiters in the area, launching missiles and firing its Vulcan, a Cobra or Hind (depending on which side) helicopter to fly around the battlefield attacking enemies, a heavily armored (two missiles to kill instead of one) Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low to fly around attacking enemies even more effectively, a B2 Spirit bomber which delivers an airstrike that the enemy cannot see coming, an AH-64 Apache with you in the gunner seat, an AC-130 gunship with you again at the guns, and if you can get a 25 kill streak... you can launch a tactical nuke which kills everyone and ends in game in your favor. For balance reasons, you may only use up to 3 unique killstreaks per match. You may also call in care packages for you in ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2'' for help which don't kill anyone alone -- unless the crate falls on someone.
** The Care Package or the Emergency Airdrop (four Care Packages in one go) however may randomly contain any of those killstreak rewards, meaning you can get Death from Above [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment in your Death from Above]]. [[Memes/OtherInternet Yo Dawg.]]

* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3'', the Soviets can drop orbital debris ranging from satellites to space stations on their enemies, along with any vehicles they picked up with their magnetic satellites.
** ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerTiberianDawn'', um... Ion cannon.
** And Nod's nukes. And chemical missiles. Or the Scrin's Overlord's Wrath and the Rift Generator. VideoGame/CommandAndConquer sure likes their superweapons.
** Bonus point for Specter in Kane's Wrath for being a stealth artillery that quote this trope word-to-word.
** The three factions of ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals'' uses often this trope: scuds / nuke / Ion cannon, paratroopers drops, [[BigBulkyBomb huge bombs dropped from bombers]], artillery shells, planes and helicopters (missiles, machine guns, napalm)... Requires superpowers or standard units, depending of which you want.
*** In the ''Zero Hour'' expansion, there's especially a US subfaction which sticks deeply to this trope : an US general specialized in air forces. He also uses the phrase "death from above" as a taunt.
*** And then there's the Harrier from ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert2'' who sometimes says "death from above" when ordering it to attack something.

** The BigBad, Alduin, has a unique Dragon Shout that only he can perform. The effects are telling: the sky turns darker, a vortex of cloud appears in the sky, and ''meteors start falling down''. This is so effective that, in a FanVid, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM1ORuAy9yA 100 archers]] can easily kill three [[EliteMooks Elder Dragons]], but all of them were annihilated by this move alone by Alduin.

* One of the powers in ''VideoGame/{{Godus}}'' is the metor; allows to you wipe out anything in a small area creating a nice crater too.

** The birds in "Trouble In The Tropicz" drop giant bird poop that kills any gruntz in a 3x3 radius.
** The aircraft in "High On Sweetz" drop exploding packages that kill any gruntz in a 3x3 radius.
** The spotlights in "High Rollerz" force your gruntz to sing if any of those spotlights catches on them. Since your gruntz can't sing properly, a trapdoor opens up underneath them and removes them from the game.
** The [=UFOs=] in "Gruntz In Space" have two searchlights that instantly melt any gruntz that come into contact with it.

** ''VideoGame/HaloWars'' and ''VideoGame/HaloWars2'' lets players who are playing as the UNSC faction call down fire from the MAC gun (Magnetic Accelerator Cannon) of an orbiting warship, or, mixing this with ItsRainingMen, they can drop [=ODSTs=] (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) on enemy positions. In addition, the Covenant (if you're playing as Regret) can call down an orbital laser beam which can be left active indefinitely (and steered around) assuming you have the resources, while the Banished can call down various types of orbital plasma bombardment.

* ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'':[[spoiler:Viridi]] is fond of using Reset Bombs (designed reset the Earth to its natural state) as meteors to [[KillAllHumans kill the humans]] or [[spoiler:strike down the Aurum]].

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' introduced a combat technique called the Finishing Blow, a OneHitKill that involves Link jumping very high in the air and coming down to [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impale the foe]] on his sword. The same technique reappears in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]''. In both games, [[spoiler: it is used to finish the final boss]].

** Near the climax of [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]], AcePilot Joker drops the [[AwesomePersonnelCarrier Mako APC]] almost on top of Saren, from the [[CoolStarship Normandy]].
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'': The overhauled Normandy SR-2 provides air support on occasion, like when it does a GunshipRescue for [[PlayerCharacter Commander Shepard]] and [[FourStarBadass Admiral]] [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Anderson]] from the [[AlienInvasion invasion of]] [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs Earth]], at the beginning of the game.
** Also in the third game, this trope is how Shepard kills a Reaper (destroyer-class) on Rannoch: by using a targeting laser to smite it with the combined firepower of [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill the entire quarian fleet. Seven times.]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{BeastThePrimordial}}'': An Ugallu's true form is usually some kind of flying monster -- [[JustifiedTrope as befitting the Family that represents the fear that something from the sky is stalking you and could snatch you up at any moment.]]

* "Death From Above" is also a maneuver from the miniatures wargame ''{{TabletopGame/Battletech}}'', father of western mecha, in which a jump- or flight-capable combat mech aims to land directly atop an opponent, with its plasma-based jumpjets firing. This maneuver is generally one of desperation because it stands a good chance of dumping both attacker and attacked on the ground where they will be easy targets for whoever wanders by or gets up first, but its effects are often devastating since mechs mount their cockpit in the head. Some larger mechs are specifically designed to carry it out such as the 90-ton ''Highlander'', leading to the term "Highlander burial" for a light mech getting landed on by an assault-class.
** Given their firepower and bomb capacity, the larger fighters (aerospace or otherwise) of the setting can also qualify with regard to ground forces if used in the game. (Though the rules give the targets a fair chance of dropping even the biggest fighter out of the sky [[GlassCannon with a single hit]].) The ultimate example, though, at least before the Jihad era brought nukes back onto the battlefield, may be orbital bombardment like the infamous destruction of the city of Edo on the planet Turtle Bay by Clan Smoke Jaguar.
* The [[CollectibleCardGame CCG]] ''TabletopGame/NetRunner'' has a powerful card named ''Death From Above''.
** With a telling bit of flavor text: "They drop rocks; I commandeer battlesats." Needless to say, there's ''also'' a card with the meaningful name ''[[ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} I Got A Rock]]'' that will under the right circumstances hit the Runner with enough 'meat damage' to flatline him or her about [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill three times over]]...

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''

* ''VideoGame/AceCombat''. Many missions are ground attack missions, and you usually can pick how to rain death the enemy. Comes in flavors of multi-targeting missiles, [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill Fuel-Air Explosive bombs]] (just picture a very small nuke explosion), anti-ship missiles, fire-and-forget bomblet dispensers, more bombs of other sizes, bomblet dropping, and [[MacrossMissileMassacre rocket spam.]] That's not counting the death ray of a [[MoreDakka machine gun]] the A-10A has. Did I mention even a fighter can use many of these? It's not just multiroles or attackers anymore.

** ''VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon'' ups the ante using the ASM, or Air Strike Mode. Attackers and Multirole-type planes can perform ASM to basically rain death with their special weapons, that gets a much faster reload and hence a literal rain of bombs can occur. This can also happen in multiplayer with ''many'' players [=ASMing=] the enemy base all at once.
*** From the same game, Bomber planes does this in ASM, raining loads of dumb bombs a lot at once, or switching to lock-on capable Guided Precision Bombs. The Bomber is also available in Multiplayer, but with the limitation of only being selectable when the friendly base is below 30%, has no defenses aside from flares, and cannot attack unless a proper ASM point has been established, making it AwesomeButImpractical.
* The Bard class in the text game ''VideoGame/{{Achaea}}'' has an ability named Death From Above, which allows them to jump from the trees directly onto a target to deliver significant damage. (they even scream out "Death From Above!" when they do it).

* Far, far, far too common in ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore'' arena fights against the heavies near the first rank. Most players have more trouble getting to the dude at rank 1 than beating him. The grenade happy psycho ex-con in [=AC2=] destroyed many a [=PS2=] controller.

* Ezio learns how to assassinate from above partway through ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Assassin's Creed]]''.
** And in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' you can signal your recruits, [[ParanoiaFuel who always are watching from the rooftops, invisible until you call them]], to obliterate rather huge enemy groups by a RainOfArrows.
* One of the most dangerous scenarios in ''VideoGame/Battlefield2142'' is a fully-loaded Air Transport. Though less menacing than planetside drops (since there are at most two transports available per side), there is more than enough destruction aboard in the form of two vehicle-mounted cannons for infantry, engineers with anti-vehicle weapons and mines, as well as two engineers designated as mid-flight repairmen (who can easily repair most damage). Only a concerted attack by the enemy (or an extremely lucky kamikaze transport pilot) can hope to stop the assault.
** ''VideoGame/Battlefield2'''s "cartillery". Air-dropped ground vehicles crush the shit out of anything it lands on. Also done supply crates.

-->Bomber: ''Roger that sir, [[IrrevocableOrder coordinates LOCKED]], orders received... Bombs are away, good day sir!''

* In the 2009 ''VideoGame/BionicCommando'' Spencer has a ground pound named after this trope. It can only be executed by jumping from great heights.
* In the opening sequence to ''VideoGame/BioShock2'', your character jumps off a balcony, right foot first. Did I forget to mention that [[spoiler: an enemy's head is directly below your right foot when you do it? If you're curious, 500 pounds of force on someone's head via a diving boot tends to end a conflict]].

* Appropriately enough, ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty 4: VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' has a level called ''Death From Above'' in which you provide close air support from an AC-130U gunship. For the uneducated, the AC-130U has a left-side-mounted 25mm [[GatlingGood GAU-12 Equalizer]], one 40 mm L/60 Bofors cannon and one 105 mm M102 howitzer. The Bofors was usually used as an AA gun, and the M102 is usually used in an indirect-fire artillery role. Using it as a direct-fire weapon from the side of a large cargo plane was something of a stroke of genius. Check [[Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]] for [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_AC-130 more.]]

*** The Care Package or the Emergency Airdrop (4 Care Packages in one go) however may randomly contain any of those killstreak rewards, meaning you can get Death from Above [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment in your Death from Above]]. [[Memes/OtherInternet Yo Dawg.]]

* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'''s BigBad destroys the future by burrowing from the ground, and then pelting the globe with its spines. While fighting it, it also does something similar with a move called "Destruction rains from the heavens!"

* Before the development patch that changed the mechanics of the archetype, a common method of garnering a high amount of damage very quickly for a Blaster in ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' was to gain altitude (either through a flight-based power or by ascending a skyscraper) and to drop to the ground below, near the enemy. The original Blaster design included an advantage wherein more damage would be dealt by suffering damage, and since the game doesn't let you die from falling damage directly, you were assured to ring off at least one good blast before you inevitably were torn to pieces.

* In ''VideoGame/CompanyOfHeroes'' the paratroopers have this as a battlecry, as well. They can also use the more direct version of this trope with the ability to call in strafing runs and bombing runs from P-47s. Meanwhile, the Panzer Elite Luftwaffe tactics can order Henschel Hs-129s to patrol a point, wiping out whole fleets of Allied vehicles with their 75mm cannon, and the Brits can call in gliders full of Commandos. And let's not even get started with the artillery...

* The supernatural bosses in ''VideoGame/DeadfallAdventures'' like to use this sort of attack, in addition to summoning {{Mook}}s. A glowing circle will appear beneath you and slowly grow in size, accompanied by an ominous rumbling. Stay on or near the circle for too long and noisy, fiery death shall be visited upon you.
* Destruction Derby-like game ''Demolition Racer'' has this: when a car lands on top of another car, the bottom car is immediately destroyed, resulting in the ''Death from above'' bonus, which gives you substantially more points than any other attack. It's also the hardest move to perform and only a handful of tracks give you the opportunity to perform a high enough jump to crash on top of your opponents.
* ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'': Laharl's ultimate attack,Meteor Impact [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is exactly what it sounds like]]
** Generic Star spells, especially at mid- and high-levels, fall under this, too. In ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 2|CursedMemories}}'', other characters had variations--Sword users, Spear users, Adell, Rozalyn...

* The BigBad proves herself able in ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'' when she launches [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM14PBS3GDc fireballs that explode with the force of a nuclear blast]] against the recently victorious army of the protagonist.

* In the later ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' games, jumping into a group of enemies from a high enough elevation (usually on horseback) results in an 'Ambush' situation, where the enemies are temporarily terrified (causing them to attack rarely, while also reducing their defense.)
* The BigBad of [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]], Alduin, has a unique Dragon Shout that only he can perform. The effects are telling: the sky turns darker, a vortex of cloud appears in the sky, and ''meteors start falling down''. This is so effective that, in a FanVid, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM1ORuAy9yA 100 archers]] can easily kill three [[EliteMooks Elder Dragons]], but all of them were annihilated by this move alone by Alduin.
** Note that the Dragonborn can call forth a thunderstorm with similar "cloud vortex in the sky" effect. The main difference is the fact that the effect's cooldown takes ages, while Alduin can cast his version back-to-back.
* Once you reach DEFCON 1 in ''[[VideoGame/EndWar Tom Clancy's EndWar]]'', you can deploy a WMD, which for the JSF and EFEC means calling in either a kinetic strike or a [[EnergyWeapon frickin laser beam]] from either faction's KillSat.
* ''VideoGame/EVEOnline'' FanVid [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhVFsvWfqfM Day of Darkness II]] features Gallente [[AttackDrone Sentry Drones]] performing an orbital bombardment. Also, Admiral Tovil-Toba performs a ColonyDrop with his multi-kilometer spaceship.
** And EVE players can provide orbital fire support to their allies playing ''[[VideoGame/DustFiveOneFour Dust 514]]''.
* VideoGame/{{Fallout}}, despite the fact that it's literally taking place in a world that had been in love with nukes, has very few instances of this. Specifically coming to mind are the KillSat facilities you can commandeer in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' (''Broken Steel'''s first mission is titled "Death From Above", and Liberty Prime is destroyed this way during that quest) and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''. Vegas also has the Boomers, a formerly-Vault-dwelling tribe that ended up taking over an air force base loaded with artillery cannons. If you befriend them and complete their quests, they not only help out in the [[GrandFinale Assault on Hoover Dam]] with their cannon, but with a fully restored [[CoolPlane B-29 Superfortress]], against a bunch of guys in leather armor with machetes. In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'', this is the Minutemen's faction power, giving you the ability to call down artillery strikes and shell raider and super mutant camps into dust, [[spoiler:and it's this ability which allows the Minutemen to inflict a CurbStompBattle on the Brotherhood of Steel in the GrandFinale as their CoolAirship gets blown out of the sky and their squads of power armour-equipped {{Elite Mook}}s get torn to pieces from miles away.]]
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''

* In ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':

* ''{{VideoGame/Foxhole}}'' features many ways to rain explosive death on your enemies; including mortars, howitzers, field artillery, and [[GrenadeLauncher rifle grenades]].

** ''VideoGame/{{Halo 4}}'' has targetable ordinance drops. While intended to supply the user with a weapon, the drop will also insta-kill most players if they're standing under it.

* [[Manga/CardcaptorSakura Sakura's]] THE CREATE super in ''VideoGame/MagicalBattleArena'' has her dropping a ton of King Penguin playground slides all over the battlefield.
* The A.I. characters from ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'', one of whom described a plan to destroy the power station of the Pfhor on the planet Lh'owon as, effectively, "Step one: drop an asteroid on the roof of the (underground) power plant. Step two: drop the badass protagonist down the hole." This is about 25% of the way through ''Marathon 2: Durandal'', and similar plans occur elsewhere in Creator/{{Bungie}} games (The [[Franchise/{{Halo}} Master Chief]] in a drop pod is more dangerous than a warship).
* In ''Marathon 2'', the titular Durandal tells you he is "Introducing the Pfhor (the main enemies at that point in time) to the joys of orbital bombardment." Of special note is that throughout this level, as you progress, the occasional distant and muted rumbling boom can be heard. Presumably Durandal enjoys what he's doing a little TOO much. Then again, he is [[AIIsACrapshoot QUITE rampant]]. And that's Durandal once he's STABLE.
* ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'' has a partial example with the Goomba Storm technique. Bowser orders a squad of Goombas to ZergRush the enemy. The player must then tap at the Goombas with the stylus to make Bowser set them on fire, upon which they leap into the air, raining fiery death upon the enemy at the end.
* Comicbook/{{Storm}}'s snow storm super in the ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' games. Or, as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZZUMjoxfZA this video]] would say, '''MAKE IT RAIN!'''
* Franchise/MassEffect:

* There's a tactic called "Death From Above" in the ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' games, which involves using your jump jets to levitate your 'Mech and then [[GoombaStomp crashing it down on top of an enemy 'Mech]]. Obviously, since this will damage your 'Mech as well (and requires very precise piloting to pull off), it's viewed largely as a last-ditch desperate gambit... but RammingAlwaysWorks.

** In ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce 3'' [[spoiler: the same thing more or less happens again.]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}} 2'' lives and breathes this trope, allowing the player to call in everything from Tomahawk missiles to Tac Nukes... for the right price.
** So much so that [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] calls the game "Airstrikes 2: Hooray for Airstrikes" and this article's Quotes page has no less than ''three'' quotes involving it.
* "Meteor Strike" is one of the most expensive spells in vanilla ''VideoGame/{{Clonk}}''. It can be modified to drop liquid granite or monster eggs.

* In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'', Samus can call in an air strike from her CoolShip once she has acquired the correct PowerUp and is in an open area. This kills most ordinary {{Mooks}} and is needed to destroy certain objects her suit weaponry cannot destroy.
** The Screw Attack usually functions this way in the ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' games.

** Bazelgeuse from ''[[VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld World]]'' is essentially a draconic [[CoolPlane B-52]], with its scales acting as the bombs. And it is one sneaky little devil. Imagine this: you're just minding your own business, walloping something you need parts from, you hear a creepy string glissando, and then...[[MadBomber KABLOOEY.]]

** Resident [[FanNickname rocket queen]] Pharah Amari has jump jets, concussion blasts and a rocket launcher. Her ultimate ability rains a barrage of rockets ([[MemeticMutation and justice]]) upon the enemy.

* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'' loves doing this with the final bosses of Episodes 1, 2, and 4 with each boss having an attack that rains destruction on the party. Dark Falz has "Heaven Punishment," in which he puts a slow-down effect on the party before firing skywards, raining beams of light down randomly (which are somehow dodgeable), Olga Flow has "God's Punishment" which is an instant kill if it connects, and the snake trio in Episode 4 has "Divine Punishment" which fires down a single beam that causes a shockwave that can't be avoided, but does less damage the farther away you are.

* "VideoGame/Pikmin": This trope occurs in the second game inside the caves. While smaller enemies can fall from the sky, bomb rocks and regular rocks can fall in huge amounts as well. There are cases where the rocks or enemies will only fall in certain circumstances, like when you're picking up a treasure.
* The aptly named "Galaxy Drops" in perpetual MMOFPS ''VideoGame/{{PlanetSide}}'' are carefully organized raids involving a fleet of ''Galaxy'' transports, each carrying a full squad of troopers, exosuit warriors, and a fully staffed vehicle, along with the Galaxy's own gunners and other air support.

* Scalebearer's "Heavyweight" passive ability in ''VideoGame/QuakeChampions'' allows him to frag an enemy by dropping from a higher level.
* Some characters in ''VideoGame/QuakeChampionsDoomEdition'' have drop-based abilities:
** [[VideoGame/QuakeIIIArena Major's]] "Air Strike" active ability allows her to pinpoint several locations for bombers to throw bombs upon.
** [[VideoGame/{{Hexen}} Zedek's]] "Cannonball" passive ability allows him to instakill any enemy by jumping upon them from a higher level.

* This is one of Sicthe Meister's new moves in ''{{VideoGame/Rosenkreuzstilette}} Freudenstachel''; she [[TimeStandsStill stops time]], leaps up, resumes time and comes crashing down on the player's head with a giant block from nowhere that shatters upon impact with the floor. We guess she must've learned a lot from [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Dio]] lately.
* Several of the weapons in ''VideoGame/ShellshockLive'' launch a flare-type projectile that calls down an air strike of various projectiles, from simple explosives, to carpet rains, to...[[AbnormalAmmo cactus and bouncy balls]].
* At one point in ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'', you have to clear out a hostile camp with mortars. Your first shot is an aerial recon camera that you use to direct your fire. The game takes a turn for the dark when you discover that your only ammunition is white phosphorous. The game then takes an even darker turn when you have to cross the now burned-out camp on foot and get an up-close look at your horrific handiwork. The game manages to go ''even darker'' when [[spoiler: you find a mass of dead refugees, all burned beyond recognition]].
* [[VideoGame/SplinterCell Splinter Cell]] series loves this. One of Sam Fisher's signature move it to climb onto overhead pipes and such to drop on enemies or strangle them, etc.
* Air Strike mode in ''SplitSecond'' has you racing down the track while a helicopter rains down missiles on you. In the airport race, one [[StuffBlowingUp Power Play]] drops an airplane on your opponents - and it's not just a small plane dropping from a crane. ''[[UpToEleven A jumbo jet crash lands on the runway]]''.
* An Umgah representative in ''VideoGame/StarControl 2'' mentions doing this [[ForTheEvulz for the lulz]]: "It so much easier to make good jokes without boring old Ur-Quan slave laws! We wanting to pull a real good one on those stupid nosers from Draconis for long time but since they battle thralls too, we not allowed do even small pranks on them like, say... dropping planetoid in their ocean. Big waves! Big waves! Har! Har! Har!"

* ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault''[='s=] Multiplayer mode features a rare, but incredibly powerful weapon which invokes this Trope. It is a cylinder that, when planted in the ground, fires a multitude of [[EverythingsBetterWithRainbows colored rockets]] that spread out and bombard the local area. This weapon achieves the widest spread but lowest density if you plant it on the nose of an Arwing you're flying high in the air.
* Three of the Imperial class's abilites in ''Videogame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' fit the bill. The Imperial Agent's Orbital Bombardment skill calls in a KillSat. The Inquisitor can conquer a storm of lightning strikes, and the [[HiredGuns Bounty Hunter]]'s is even called "Death From Above", flying into the air and raining missiles down from above.

* ''Franchise/SuperMario'' series:

* The {{Ground Pound}}s, like Bowser's Bowser Bomb in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series certainly applies as a certain kind of Death From Above, as does Link's Down Air attack.
** And Yoshi's Yoshi Bomb, Kirby's Stone and Cutter, Ike's Aether and Dedede's Super Dedede Jump as well.

* One of the reasons why the default missile warheads in ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'' are nuclear (the other being that conventional explosives are useless in space). And by no means the only method, assault shuttles, [[SyntheticPlague biowar missiles]], [[ColonyDrop siege drivers]], and to be honest nearly all starship weapons are devastating to planets. Battles against enemy colonies often culminate in orbital bombardment. Interestingly, for early and part of the midgame trans-atmospheric Assault Shuttles are more effective at dealing anti-colony damage.
* ''[[VideoGame/{{Syndicate}} Syndicate Wars]]'' has a weapon called Satellite Rain, which is a fictional version of Project Thor mentioned in the RealLife section.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has the Judgment spell used by Collette, [[spoiler:Mithos, and Kratos]] that rained holy light all over. In the OVA [[spoiler:Kratos]] wipes out a dragon riding army of Renegades with Judgment beams from the clouds.
** Many different spells throughout the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' in general like Burn Strike, Meteor Storm, and Indignation come down from the sky. A more bizarre recurring example is the Pow Rain spell, which rains ''toy squeaky hammers'' that stun (And in some games damage) whatever they land on.

* ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' series:

** ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004'' (plus ''2003'' and ''VideoGame/UnrealChampionship'') have the Ion Painter/T.A.G. Rifle, a targeting laser for an Ion Cannon from a KillSat or, in the case of ''2004'', three cannons.
** ''2004'' also has the Target Painter, which instead calls a bomber that cruises across the sky and sends dropping bombs exploding in a straight line.

* Massed artillery in ''VideoGame/WargameEuropeanEscalation'' is an extremely effective tactic. Building [[CripplingOverspecialization an entire]] [[GlassCannon army]] out of artillery, on the other hand, almost never works, but is, on occasion, hilarious.

* Servant Caster from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' is rather fond of this, especially in the sequel ''VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia''. Being able to create [[SlowLaser Slow Lasers]] with a single word (whereas the regular magus would need 30 seconds and a small ritual), and capable of flight, she {{Beam Spam}}s her enemies who have almost no chance of fighting back.

* Servant Caster from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' is rather fond of this, especially in the sequel ''VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia''. Being able to create FrickinLaserBeams with a single word (whereas the regular magus would need 30 seconds and a small ritual), and capable of flight, she {{Beam Spam}}s her enemies who have almost no chance of fighting back.

** In ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'', there's also the KillSat variant. The "Ark Bird" is a white huge manned aircraft that flies in the upper atmosphere layers, and is armed with a [[FrickinLaserBeams laser weapon]] that can shoot down and destroy everything in a large radius. Ace Combat 3 gets you to ''use'' one. The Kill Sat in that iteration will kill anything in one hit, unless when you're indoors (yes, you get to go indoors every once in a while).

* Once you reach DEFCON 1 in ''[[VideoGame/EndWar Tom Clancy's EndWar]]'', you can deploy a WMD, which for the JSF and EFEC means calling in either a kinetic strike or a [[FrickinLaserBeams frickin laser beam]] from either faction's KillSat.

** GiantFlyer -- the Fusion Dragon, more or less. Also, the Eclipse summon, which is essentially a dragon which breathes [[FrickinLaserBeams lasers]].
** KillSat -- Judgement and Catastrophe; arguably also the unleashed attack of the Phaeton's Blade, sending FrickinLaserBeams down on the target.

* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter''[='=]s Bow class has the Arc ability, which shoots an arrow up into the air, which then falls back down as one of several different special attacks, such as a RainOfArrows or an explosive blast, depending on the bow's listed Arc skill.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

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S

* One of the reasons why the default missile warheads in ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'' are nuclear (the other being that conventional explosives are useless in space). And by no means the only method, assault shuttles, [[SyntheticPlague biowar missiles]], [[ColonyDrop siege drivers]], and to be honest nearly all starship weapons are devastating to planets.

T

U

V

W

* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'' loves doing this with the final bosses of Episodes 1, 2, and 4 with each boss having an attack that rains destruction on the party. Dark Falz has "Heaven Punishment," in which he puts a slow-down effect on the party before firing skywards, raining beams of light down randomly (which are somehow dodgeable), Olga Flow has "God's Punishment" which is an instant kill if it connects, and the snake trio in Episode 4 has "Divine Punishment" which fires down a single beam that causes a shockwave that can't be avoided, but does less damage the farther away you are.
** Player characters can do this as well with the "Divine Punishment" special, which targets up to 16 enemies in front of them and blasts them with light-elemental beams. Of course, since it's the player using it, it's nowhere near as effective... unless it's tagging enemies for experience points, or an area that's extremely allergic to holy rays of death.
* ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' includes the Hammer of Dawn, the targeting laser for an [[KillSat Orbital Death Beam]]. The sequel adds the Mortar, which has a nearly vertical arc allowing the player to wreak death from above. Then you include the gunships, the [[GoddamnBats Kryll]], and the [[DeathWorld razor-sharp killer]] [[DeathWorld ''rain'']] and it just goes bananas.
* ''Franchise/MegaMan'':
** Doctor Weil holds the world hostage by way of KillSat in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero4''. When that plan gets foiled, he decides to use the space fortress for a ColonyDrop - two versions of the trope for the price of one villain.
** In ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce 3'' [[spoiler: the same thing more or less happens again.]]
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
** The Covenant's standard tactic against a hostile world is to have a fleet plasma-bombard it into molten glass.
** The UNSC's orbital MAC guns can also be used to attack targets already on a planet's surface.
** ''VideoGame/HaloWars'' and ''VideoGame/HaloWars2'' lets players who are playing as the UNSC faction call down fire from the MAC gun (Magnetic Accelerator Cannon) of an orbiting warship, or, mixing this with ItsRainingMen, they can drop [=ODSTs=] (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) on enemy positions. In addition, the Covenant (if you're playing as Regret) can call down an orbital laser beam which can be left active indefinitely (and steered around) assuming you have the resources, while the Banished can call down various types of orbital plasma bombardment.
** ''VideoGame/HaloReach'':
*** The target locator, with which you can designate targets for artillery.
*** At the end of "Tip of the Spear", the Covenant supercarrier ''Long Night of Solace'' delivers a DFA attack on the UNSC frigate ''Grafton''.
** ''VideoGame/{{Halo 4}}'' has targetable ordinance drops. While intended to supply the user with a weapon, the drop will also insta-kill most players if they're standing under it.
* ''VideoGame/{{Meteos}}'' revolves around this; every populated planet and non-planet in the universe is being bombarded by multicolored meteors that, if left by themselves, will make the planet ''{{e|arthShatteringKaboom}}xplode.''
* The Tasen and the Komato in ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'' have what is called the Alpha Strike, which involves a bunch of ships firing lasers at a planet. The Tasen use it before the game (at half power!) to kill almost all of humanity (along with most other life), and the Komato almost fire it at at full power near the end, which would have destroyed the planet.
* Destruction Derby-like game ''Demolition Racer'' has this: when a car lands on top of another car, the bottom car is immediately destroyed, resulting in the ''Death from above'' bonus, which gives you substantially more points than any other attack. It's also the hardest move to perform and only a handful of tracks give you the opportunity to perform a high enough jump to crash on top of your opponents.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has a number of attacks that fit this. Doom Desire sends up a wish that, after a few turns, results in an ''enormous'' blast of silvery-purple light that completely annihilates the opponent. Judgment is similar, but it [[GameBreaker requires no charge time, is much stronger, can be any type]], and is [[PurposelyOverpowered only learnable by]] [[OlympusMons Arceus]], ''the creator of the universe''. Thunder calls forth a bolt of lightning from the heavens to strike down the foe, and Draco Meteor creates a catastrophic meteor storm. Weather Ball sends up a small ball of energy that absorbs the power of the current weather, charges up, and falls back down to hit the enemy. Solarbeam (currently) drops an ''enormous'' column of weaponized sunlight on the enemy.
* In the opening sequence to ''VideoGame/BioShock2'', your character jumps off a balcony, right foot first. Did I forget to mention that [[spoiler: an enemy's head is directly below your right foot when you do it? If you're curious, 500 pounds of force on someone's head via a diving boot tends to end a conflict]].
* ''[[VideoGame/{{Syndicate}} Syndicate Wars]]'' has a weapon called Satellite Rain, which is a fictional version of Project Thor mentioned in the RealLife section.
* ''VideoGame/EVEOnline'' FanVid [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhVFsvWfqfM Day of Darkness II]] features Gallente [[AttackDrone Sentry Drones]] performing an orbital bombardment. Also, Admiral Tovil-Toba performs a ColonyDrop with his multi-kilometer spaceship.
** And EVE players can provide orbital fire support to their allies playing ''[[VideoGame/DustFiveOneFour Dust 514]]''.
* Once you reach DEFCON 1 in ''[[VideoGame/EndWar Tom Clancy's EndWar]]'', you can deploy a WMD, which for the JSF and EFEC means calling in either a kinetic strike or a [[FrickinLaserBeams frickin laser beam]] from either faction's KillSat.
* ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'''s Alex Mercer does this repeatedly, except he does it with his own body. So it's kind of [[ItsRainingMen It's Raining a Man]] and GoombaStomp. Not that he cannot also hijack aircraft with an unusually large supply of ammunition and use them.
* ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'': Laharl's ultimate attack,Meteor Impact [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is exactly what it sounds like]]
** Generic Star spells, especially at mid- and high-levels, fall under this, too. In ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 2|CursedMemories}}'', other characters had variations--Sword users, Spear users, Adell, Rozalyn...
* Air Strike mode in ''SplitSecond'' has you racing down the track while a helicopter rains down missiles on you. In the airport race, one [[StuffBlowingUp Power Play]] drops an airplane on your opponents - and it's not just a small plane dropping from a crane. ''[[UpToEleven A jumbo jet crash lands on the runway]]''.
* In the DBZ Games (Raging Blast at least) Base Super Buu has a move that could be called this. He stands still, one hand in the air, and fires Ki blasts straight up. He's only vulnerable for a few split seconds before the ki blasts come back down, stunning you and knocking you to the ground.
* In ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
** The Bolting (Anima), Eclipse (Dark) and Purge (Light) magical tomes allow the user to attack a target far from their normal one space reach. If a boss has them as one of their weapons, expect them to use it to let you know that [[WakeUpCallBoss they're not to be trifled with.]] ''Especially'' if we're talking about Ursula from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]'', whose Bolting is ''infamously'' strong -- to the point of "giving birth" to the "FUCKING BOLTIIIIING" [[MemeticMutation minor meme.]]
** Ballistae, giant artillery pieces which allow you to drop heavy projectiles from long distance. They're their own unique class in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight'', ''VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem'', their DS remakes, and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', while in the GBA and Tellius games they are map objects that any Archer or Sniper can mount.
** This is also how [[spoiler: the Battle of Belhalla]] finishes in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar Genealogy of the Holy War]]''. Death by [[spoiler: a "fire rain" via the Meteor spell, courtesy of the court magicians under the orders of the MagnificentBastard who has just killed your leader. Aaaaaahhhhh!!!]]
* ''VideoGame/DuneII''. The Harkonnen can launch a Death Hand missile from their palace(s). It can devastate an enemy complex.
* In the 2009 ''VideoGame/BionicCommando'' Spencer has a ground pound named after this trope. It can only be executed by jumping from great heights.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has the Judgment spell used by Collette, [[spoiler:Mithos, and Kratos]] that rained holy light all over. In the OVA [[spoiler:Kratos]] wipes out a dragon riding army of Renegades with Judgment beams from the clouds.
** Many different spells throughout the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' in general like Burn Strike, Meteor Storm, and Indignation come down from the sky. A more bizarre recurring example is the Pow Rain spell, which rains ''toy squeaky hammers'' that stun (And in some games damage) whatever they land on.
* Ezio learns how to assassinate from above partway through ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Assassin's Creed]]''.
** And in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' you can signal your recruits, [[ParanoiaFuel who always are watching from the rooftops, invisible until you call them]], to obliterate rather huge enemy groups by a RainOfArrows.
* Battles against enemy colonies in ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'' often culminate in orbital bombardment. Interestingly, for early and part of the midgame trans-atmospheric Assault Shuttles are more effective at dealing anti-colony damage.
* ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault''[='s=] Multiplayer mode features a rare, but incredibly powerful weapon which invokes this Trope. It is a cylinder that, when planted in the ground, fires a multitude of [[EverythingsBetterWithRainbows colored rockets]] that spread out and bombard the local area. This weapon achieves the widest spread but lowest density if you plant it on the nose of an Arwing you're flying high in the air.
* VideoGame/{{Fallout}}, despite the fact that it's literally taking place in a world that had been in love with nukes, has very few instances of this. Specifically coming to mind are the KillSat facilities you can commandeer in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' (''Broken Steel'''s first mission is titled "Death From Above", and Liberty Prime is destroyed this way during that quest) and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''. Vegas also has the Boomers, a formerly-Vault-dwelling tribe that ended up taking over an air force base loaded with artillery cannons. If you befriend them and complete their quests, they not only help out in the [[GrandFinale Assault on Hoover Dam]] with their cannon, but with a fully restored [[CoolPlane B-29 Superfortress]], against a bunch of guys in leather armor with machetes. In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'', this is the Minutemen's faction power, giving you the ability to call down artillery strikes and shell raider and super mutant camps into dust, [[spoiler:and it's this ability which allows the Minutemen to inflict a CurbStompBattle on the Brotherhood of Steel in the GrandFinale as their CoolAirship gets blown out of the sky and their squads of power armour-equipped {{Elite Mook}}s get torn to pieces from miles away.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonNeon'', one of the late-game enemies, the levitating sorcerer Bao Boshi, has one of his most devastating attacks named after this trope.
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': Having the higher ground affords a tactical advantage to pretty much all of the classes, but the Soldier in particular earns an achievement called "Death From Above" by killing enough enemies in that fashion.
* ''VideoGame/AceCombat''. Many missions are ground attack missions, and you usually can pick how to rain death the enemy. Comes in flavors of multi-targeting missiles, [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill Fuel-Air Explosive bombs]] (just picture a very small nuke explosion), anti-ship missiles, fire-and-forget bomblet dispensers, more bombs of other sizes, bomblet dropping, and [[MacrossMissileMassacre rocket spam.]] That's not counting the death ray of a [[MoreDakka machine gun]] the A-10A has. Did I mention even a fighter can use many of these? It's not just multiroles or attackers anymore.
** In ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'', there's also the KillSat variant. The "Ark Bird" is a white huge manned aircraft that flies in the upper atmosphere layers, and is armed with a [[FrickinLaserBeams laser weapon]] that can shoot down and destroy everything in a large radius. Ace Combat 3 gets you to ''use'' one. The Kill Sat in that iteration will kill anything in one hit, unless when you're indoors (yes, you get to go indoors every once in a while).
** ''VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon'' ups the ante using the ASM, or Air Strike Mode. Attackers and Multirole-type planes can perform ASM to basically rain death with their special weapons, that gets a much faster reload and hence a literal rain of bombs can occur. This can also happen in multiplayer with ''many'' players [=ASMing=] the enemy base all at once.
*** From the same game, Bomber planes does this in ASM, raining loads of dumb bombs a lot at once, or switching to lock-on capable Guided Precision Bombs. The Bomber is also available in Multiplayer, but with the limitation of only being selectable when the friendly base is below 30%, has no defenses aside from flares, and cannot attack unless a proper ASM point has been established, making it AwesomeButImpractical.
* At one point in ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'', you have to clear out a hostile camp with mortars. Your first shot is an aerial recon camera that you use to direct your fire. The game takes a turn for the dark when you discover that your only ammunition is white phosphorous. The game then takes an even darker turn when you have to cross the now burned-out camp on foot and get an up-close look at your horrific handiwork. The game manages to go ''even darker'' when [[spoiler: you find a mass of dead refugees, all burned beyond recognition]].
* In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'', the player has a nightmare vision of Manhattan under attack by the sky city of Columbia, emerging from moonlit clouds to rain righteous fire on its heathen streets. Later, [[spoiler:the dream turns out to be a premonition of a BadFuture timeline in which a brainwashed Elizabeth assumes power over the city and uses it and her vast transdimensional powers to conquer the world (and possibly the {{Multiverse}})]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Rage}}'' opens with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis 99942 Apophis]] slamming into Earth.
* ''VideoGame/{{Wolf}}'' will teach you to fear planes and helicopters; human snipers armed with {{Instant Death Bullet}}s prowl the skies with them, just looking for a wolf to shoot. If you see one coming, don't even bother barking to alert your packmates; just tuck your tail between your legs and '''''scram''''', because if that shadow touches you, you're going down in one hit.
* "Meteor Strike" is one of the most expensive spells in vanilla ''VideoGame/{{Clonk}}''. It can be modified to drop liquid granite or monster eggs.
* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter''[='=]s Bow class has the Arc ability, which shoots an arrow up into the air, which then falls back down as one of several different special attacks, such as a RainOfArrows or an explosive blast, depending on the bow's listed Arc skill.
* In ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfLomax'', there are enemies in the first world who fly in balloons and throw bombs at you.

* ''Franchise/SuperMario'' series:
** A frequently recurring character is the Thwomp, which attacks the player by waiting until they're standing underneath and then careening downwards to crush them.
** Another recurring enemy is Lakitu, who hangs from a floating cloud and throws Spiny Eggs at the playing character.
** The ground pound is a frequently used move introduced in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld2YoshisIsland'' that can be used to fall onto enemies and other objects with increased downward force. Also, Mario's traditional attack method of jumping on enemies could technically be categorized within this trope.
** A certain type of Paragoomba in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'' releases tiny Goombas from the air that latch onto Mario or Luigi, slowing him down and hindering his jumping abilities.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'':
*** The final boss is against Bowser and his Koopa Clown Car, who attacks with various aerial projectiles- among which are slowly falling flames and giant, black balls.
*** Swoopers are bat-like enemies which hang from the ceiling and swoop down (go figure) from above to attack Mario.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'':
*** A bird enemy named Klepto swoops down onto Mario in order to steal his hat.
*** Grindels, which are essentially Thwomps that are covered in bandages.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'' contains Winged Strollin' Stus, which fly around in the air and attempt to drop themselves onto Mario in order to hurt him. A variant called Swipin' Stu can do this in order to steal Mario's red cap.
** In ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros'', Scuttlebugs reappear from 64, with a new variant that hangs down from a spider web.
*** Lakithunder is a lightning-theme Lakitu and the Castle boss of World-7 who releases lightning from his cloud unto Mario or Luigi alongside the typical spiel of throwing Spinies.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'':
*** Cluckbooms fly in circles and attack Mario and Luigi by dropping bombs from their... erm... lower sector.
*** Spring Mario navigates by bouncing high into the air, which can subsequently be used to attack enemies from above.
** In ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'', the Cat Suit is introduced, which features a midair attack that involves pouncing on to enemies- you guessed it- like a cat.
** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'':
*** Urban Stingbys, insect enemies that tower in the air and attack Mario in a similar fashion to that of previous aerial enemies in the series.
*** One of the Broodals, Hariet, has a phase during her boss fight where she goes into her metal hat like a UFO and drops bombs onto Mario.
* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''
** The Dragoon class from throughout the series qualifies, since their main ability is just to jump up into the air and crash down into enemies with their spears.
** The recurring Comet and Meteor spells certainly count.
** After having become [[AGodAmI the incarnation of magic]], BigBad, MonsterClown and [[StrawNihilist nihilistic whack-o]] Kefka Palazzo from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' picked up the nice little hobby of annihilating any- and everything he didn't like with the [[WaveMotionGun "Light of Judgement,"]] a massive, magical beam from the skies.
** Sephiroth in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. Both by [[spoiler:almost]] obliterating the world with Meteor and earlier popping ''out of nowhere'' at the end of Disc 1 to deliver Death from Above to [[spoiler:Aeris]].
*** There's also the Bahamut ZERO summon spell, wherein the eponymous [[GiantFlyer dragon]] blasts the user's unfortunate adversaries ''[[OrbitalBombardment from orbit]]''.
*** As well as one of Cid's {{Limit Break}}s: he calls in an airstrike from the Highwind.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' might be #1 for most Death from Above scenes in one game. There's Odin who [[spoiler:Zantetsukens an entire city into ash]], the ''[[CoolAirship Invincible]]'' which {{nuke|Em}}s [[spoiler:Alexandria and Alexander simultaneously not to mention having done the same to the Maiden Sari in a flashback. Plus there's Kuja whose Ultima Spell is a horrifying combination of PlanetKiller, NukeEm, and RocksFallEverybodyDies]].
** "Death from Above" also happens to be the name of a [[http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Death_from_Above giant bee Notorious Monster]] in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'', which fits under the GiantFlyer subsection.
** The Yovra enemies in Al'Taieu also qualify for this trope. They hover around in the sky and can't be targeted...until they hear you, promptly dropping down to dispense death to the unlucky party.
* Although all the biggest lightning spells come from above, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'''s Thundaga definitely looks the most impressive, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p6CjEOdfws almost like a small-scale reverse-Eden.]]
* This is a reoccurring theme in almost all of the big summons in ''Final Fantasy''. Examples are almost all of Bahamut's summonings, one of which involves him firing a [[EarthShatteringKaboom Moon Killer]] which blasts through the moon to reach its target. Other notable ones are Eden from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', Ark from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'', which combines KillSat with CoolAirship, and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII''[='=]s Exodus, whose ultimate attack drops a [[Film/{{Armageddon}} meteor the size of Texas]] on your enemy's head. It is as cool as it sounds.
* ''[=DT3=]'' has many enemies that call death from above, but [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIGXvF-G9CY?t=8m25s the Thunderbird's rain of fire]] is perhaps the clearest example.

* The A.I. characters from ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'', one of whom described a plan to destroy the power station of the Pfhor on the planet Lh'owon as, effectively, "Step one: drop an asteroid on the roof of the (underground) power plant. Step two: drop the badass protagonist down the hole." This is about 25% of the way through ''Marathon 2: Durandal'', and similar plans occur elsewhere in Creator/{{Bungie}} games (The [[Franchise/{{Halo}} Master Chief]] in a drop pod is more dangerous than a warship)
* In ''Marathon 2'', the titular Durandal tells you he is "Introducing the Pfhor (the main enemies at that point in time) to the joys of orbital bombardment." Of special note is that throughout this level, as you progress, the occasional distant and muted rumbling boom can be heard. Presumably Durandal enjoys what he's doing a little TOO much. Then again, he is [[AIIsACrapshoot QUITE rampant]]. And that's Durandal once he's STABLE.
* The BigBad proves herself able in ''VideoGame/{{Drakengard}}'' when she launches [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM14PBS3GDc fireballs that explode with the force of a nuclear blast]] against the recently victorious army of the protagonist.
* In the later ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' games, jumping into a group of enemies from a high enough elevation (usually on horseback) results in an 'Ambush' situation, where the enemies are temporarily terrified (causing them to attack rarely, while also reducing their defense.)

* ''VideoGame/{{Worms}}'' has plenty of powerful airstrike Superweapons. Mail Strikes, MB Bombs, Mike's Carpet Bombs, French Sheep Strikes, Concrete Donkeys, and Armageddon all rain death on opposing worms. OK, that last one, as you might expect from the name, rains death on [[RocksFallEveryoneDies everyone]], but the point stands.
* ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'':
** The Space Marines special unit, the Assault Marines, have this phrase as a battlecry. The same faction also uses drop pods in a planetary assault. The commander unit can call in an Orbital Bombardment as well.
** In ''Dawn of War 2'', the Assault Marines actually do damage in the single-player by dropping down -- in the multiplayer, they knock infantry down.
* In ''VideoGame/CompanyOfHeroes'' the paratroopers have this as a battlecry, as well. They can also use the more direct version of this trope with the ability to call in strafing runs and bombing runs from P-47s. Meanwhile, the Panzer Elite Luftwaffe tactics can order Henschel Hs-129s to patrol a point, wiping out whole fleets of Allied vehicles with their 75mm cannon, and the Brits can call in gliders full of Commandos. And let's not even get started with the artillery...

* The Bard class in the text game ''VideoGame/{{Achaea}}'' has an ability named Death From Above, which allows them to jump from the trees directly onto a target to deliver significant damage. (they even scream out "Death From Above!" when they do it).
* ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' has several varieties, mostly in the form of summons:
** GiantFlyer - the Fusion Dragon, more or less. Also, the Eclipse summon, which is essentially a dragon which breathes [[FrickinLaserBeams lasers]].
** KillSat - Judgement and Catastrophe; arguably also the unleashed attack of the Phaeton's Blade, sending FrickinLaserBeams down on the target.
** Meteor - [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the Meteor summon]], and a more localized version in the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Sol Blade's]] "Megiddo" unleash.
** NukeEm - would be several, if the party didn't mysteriously disappear at the beginning; most {{JustForFun/egregious}}ly Charon
*** Or alternatively, the [[BigBad Doom Dragon's]] attack, Cruel Ruin, which appears to shoot a chain of exploding beams, each destroying massive areas of land. Also, the Daedalus summon, which brings out a giant ancient-looking robot that shoots several small missiles that hit immediately and a final, huge one, which three turns later, hits for a large explosion.
** RainOfArrows - Atalanta.
* The aptly named "Galaxy Drops" in perpetual MMOFPS ''VideoGame/{{PlanetSide}}'' are carefully organized raids involving a fleet of ''Galaxy'' transports, each carrying a full squad of troopers, exosuit warriors, and a fully staffed vehicle, along with the Galaxy's own gunners and other air support.
** In ''Planetside 2'', the Galaxy makes a comeback, along with the Liberator gunship, which can carry a quad 30mm gatling turret or a 150mm cannon for bombarding ground targets.
* One of the most dangerous scenarios in ''VideoGame/Battlefield2142'' is a fully-loaded Air Transport. Though less menacing than planetside drops (since there are at most two transports available per side), there is more than enough destruction aboard in the form of two vehicle-mounted cannons for infantry, engineers with anti-vehicle weapons and mines, as well as two engineers designated as mid-flight repairmen (who can easily repair most damage). Only a concerted attack by the enemy (or an extremely lucky kamikaze transport pilot) can hope to stop the assault.
** ''VideoGame/Battlefield2'''s "cartillery". Air-dropped ground vehicles crush the shit out of anything it lands on. Also done supply crates.
* The {{Ground Pound}}s, like Bowser's Bowser Bomb in the ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' series certainly applies as a certain kind of Death From Above, as does Link's Down Air attack.
** And Yoshi's Yoshi Bomb, Kirby's Stone and Cutter, Ike's Aether and Dedede's Super Dedede Jump as well.
** In addition to standard moves that involve attacking from above your opponent (i.e Spiking and Meteor Smashes), many [[LimitBreak final smashes]] in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Brawl'' bring Death From Above onto the battlefield. Notable examples: [[VideoGame/EarthBound Ness and Lucas']] PK Starstorm, [[VideoGame/KidIcarus Pit]] summoning [[TheCavalry Palutena's army]], [[VideoGame/{{Kirby}} King Dedede]] and his Waddle Dees, [[VideoGame/MetalGear Snake's]] Grenade assault from a helicopter, [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Lucario's]] [[KamehameHadoken Aura Storm]], and all three [[VideoGame/StarFox Landmasters]].
* Several of the weapons in ''VideoGame/ShellshockLive'' launch a flare-type projectile that calls down an air strike of various projectiles, from simple explosives, to carpet rains, to...[[AbnormalAmmo cactus and bouncy balls]].
* In ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'', Samus can call in an air strike from her CoolShip once she has acquired the correct PowerUp and is in an open area. This kills most ordinary {{Mooks}} and is needed to destroy certain objects her suit weaponry cannot destroy.
** The Screw Attack usually functions this way in the ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' games.
* The Orcish Wind Riders of ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} III'' will sometimes scream "Death From Above!" when given an order to fly in and throw envenomed spears at enemies below.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': The "rawrbomb" is a maneuver pulled off by Druids; shapeshift into a flying form, find a convenient location over your target, then shift into bear form and drop like a stone. When you get within range of the target, pop "CHARGE!" and hurl yourself at the target, smashing into them and landing without damage. [[DifficultButAwesome Tricky to do, impressive to see, easy to screw up]]. Warriors can pull off a similar trick.
* Massed artillery in ''VideoGame/WargameEuropeanEscalation'' is an extremely effective tactic. Building [[CripplingOverspecialization an entire]] [[GlassCannon army]] out of artillery, on the other hand, almost never works, but is, on occasion, hilarious.

* [[Manga/CardcaptorSakura Sakura's]] THE CREATE super in ''VideoGame/MagicalBattleArena'' has her dropping a ton of King Penguin playground slides all over the battlefield.
* Comicbook/{{Storm}}'s snow storm super in the ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' games. Or, as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZZUMjoxfZA this video]] would say, '''MAKE IT RAIN!'''

* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'' loves doing this with the final bosses of Episodes 1, 2, and 4 with each boss having an attack that rains destruction on the party. Dark Falz has "Heaven Punishment," in which he puts a slow-down effect on the party before firing skywards, raining beams of light down randomly (which are somehow dodgeable), Olga Flow has "God's Punishment" which is an instant kill if it connects, and the snake trio in Episode 4 has "Divine Punishment" which fires down a single beam that causes a shockwave that can't be avoided, but does less damage the farther away you are.
** Player characters can do this as well with the "Divine Punishment" special, which targets up to 16 enemies in front of them and blasts them with light-elemental beams. Of course, since it's the player using it, it's nowhere near as effective... unless it's tagging enemies for experience points, or an area that's extremely allergic to holy rays of death.
* ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' includes the Hammer of Dawn, the targeting laser for an [[KillSat Orbital Death Beam]]. The sequel adds the Mortar, which has a nearly vertical arc allowing the player to wreak death from above. Then you include the gunships, the [[GoddamnBats Kryll]], and the [[DeathWorld razor-sharp killer]] [[DeathWorld ''rain'']] and it just goes bananas.
* ''VideoGame/{{Unreal}}'' series:
** In ''VideoGame/UnrealIITheAwakening'', during the second visit to Avalon, [[spoiler:the TCA Atlantis is being bombarded from orbit, while [[PlayerCharacter John Dalton]] cleans the area for the ship's safe arrival. Then in an attempt to land, the ship is blasted with John's crew aboard, killing all three of them]].
** ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004'' (plus ''2003'' and ''VideoGame/UnrealChampionship'') have the Ion Painter/T.A.G. Rifle, a targeting laser for an Ion Cannon from a KillSat or, in the case of ''2004'', three cannons.
** ''2004'' also has the Target Painter, which instead calls a bomber that cruises across the sky and sends dropping bombs exploding in a straight line.
* ''Franchise/MegaMan'':
** Doctor Weil holds the world hostage by way of KillSat in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero4''. When that plan gets foiled, he decides to use the space fortress for a ColonyDrop - two versions of the trope for the price of one villain.
** In ''VideoGame/MegaManStarForce 3'' [[spoiler: the same thing more or less happens again.]]
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
** The Covenant's standard tactic against a hostile world is to have a fleet plasma-bombard it into molten glass.
** The UNSC's orbital MAC guns can also be used to attack targets already on a planet's surface.
** ''VideoGame/HaloWars'' and ''VideoGame/HaloWars2'' lets players who are playing as the UNSC faction call down fire from the MAC gun (Magnetic Accelerator Cannon) of an orbiting warship, or, mixing this with ItsRainingMen, they can drop [=ODSTs=] (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) on enemy positions. In addition, the Covenant (if you're playing as Regret) can call down an orbital laser beam which can be left active indefinitely (and steered around) assuming you have the resources, while the Banished can call down various types of orbital plasma bombardment.
** ''VideoGame/HaloReach'':
*** The target locator, with which you can designate targets for artillery.
*** At the end of "Tip of the Spear", the Covenant supercarrier ''Long Night of Solace'' delivers a DFA attack on the UNSC frigate ''Grafton''.
** ''VideoGame/{{Halo 4}}'' has targetable ordinance drops. While intended to supply the user with a weapon, the drop will also insta-kill most players if they're standing under it.
* ''VideoGame/{{Meteos}}'' revolves around this; every populated planet and non-planet in the universe is being bombarded by multicolored meteors that, if left by themselves, will make the planet ''{{e|arthShatteringKaboom}}xplode.''
* An Umgah representative in ''VideoGame/StarControl 2'' mentions doing this [[ForTheEvulz for the lulz]]: "It so much easier to make good jokes without boring old Ur-Quan slave laws! We wanting to pull a real good one on those stupid nosers from Draconis for long time but since they battle thralls too, we not allowed do even small pranks on them like, say... dropping planetoid in their ocean. Big waves! Big waves! Har! Har! Har!"
* ''VideoGame/StarCraft'':
** The original not only features the many, many kinds of aircraft (such as Zerg Guardians) that can gun down your poor defenseless Protoss Zealots from above, but there's also the Terran {{nuke|Em}}, which does either 400 points of damage straight up or two-thirds of the target's max health (enough to kill the Overmind itself in two shots). Only the ''[[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Purifier]]'' can do that in the sequel, but it [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill blows up entire communities]].
** If you could get the resources together to build them, nothing was more awesome than tooling around with a squadron of battlecruisers (except possibly tooling around with a squadron of carriers). Trump Card: On certain levels, a squadron of battleships AND a squadron of carriers.
* The Tasen and the Komato in ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'' have what is called the Alpha Strike, which involves a bunch of ships firing lasers at a planet. The Tasen use it before the game (at half power!) to kill almost all of humanity (along with most other life), and the Komato almost fire it at at full power near the end, which would have destroyed the planet.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldInConflict'', half the point of the game is calling in a truly vast array of support firepower - small mortar strikes, large artillery barrages, cluster bombs, smart bombs, chemical strikes, carpet bombing, and even the infamous nuke.
* Destruction Derby-like game ''Demolition Racer'' has this: when a car lands on top of another car, the bottom car is immediately destroyed, resulting in the ''Death from above'' bonus, which gives you substantially more points than any other attack. It's also the hardest move to perform and only a handful of tracks give you the opportunity to perform a high enough jump to crash on top of your opponents.
* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' has a number of attacks that fit this. Doom Desire sends up a wish that, after a few turns, results in an ''enormous'' blast of silvery-purple light that completely annihilates the opponent. Judgment is similar, but it [[GameBreaker requires no charge time, is much stronger, can be any type]], and is [[PurposelyOverpowered only learnable by]] [[OlympusMons Arceus]], ''the creator of the universe''. Thunder calls forth a bolt of lightning from the heavens to strike down the foe, and Draco Meteor creates a catastrophic meteor storm. Weather Ball sends up a small ball of energy that absorbs the power of the current weather, charges up, and falls back down to hit the enemy. Solarbeam (currently) drops an ''enormous'' column of weaponized sunlight on the enemy.
* Far, far, far too common in ''VideoGame/ArmoredCore'' arena fights against the heavies near the first rank. Most players have more trouble getting to the dude at rank 1 than beating him. The grenade happy psycho ex-con in [=AC2=] destroyed many a [=PS2=] controller.
** Permaflight has been a viable tactic since the very first game; what flavor of death being rained down varies from good ol' rifles, grenades, [[MacrossMissileMassacre MMM-style]] barrages, and even some snipers take to the air and pelt you with precision sniper rounds. This all was thought to end with Armored Core V's heavy reliance on buildings to even achieve height at all, but as it turns out, some [=ACs=] are just better at staying afloat and rain death upon the poor sods below. Except when the one below is a [[TankGoodness tank AC]] that is ready to rain bullets ''up''...
* There's a tactic called "Death From Above" in the ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' games, which involves using your jump jets to levitate your 'Mech and then [[GoombaStomp crashing it down on top of an enemy 'Mech]]. Obviously, since this will damage your 'Mech as well (and requires very precise piloting to pull off), it's viewed largely as a last-ditch desperate gambit... but RammingAlwaysWorks.
** ''Mechwarrior Living Legends'' has the Long Tom Artillery Tank, a 90 ton vehicle that fires a 200kg high-explosive shell capable of smiting battlemechs from over a kilometer away or a mere 100 meters away when fired like a mortar. Inscribed on the barrel are the words ''DEATH FROM AFAR!''
* ''VideoGame/{{Mercenaries}} 2'' lives and breathes this trope, allowing the player to call in everything from Tomahawk missiles to Tac Nukes... for the right price.
** So much so that [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] calls the game "Airstrikes 2: Hooray for Airstrikes" and this article's Quotes page has no less than ''three'' quotes involving it.
* ''[[VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'' has a partial example with the Goomba Storm technique. Bowser orders a squad of Goombas to ZergRush the enemy. The player must then tap at the Goombas with the stylus to make Bowser set them on fire, upon which they leap into the air, raining fiery death upon the enemy at the end.
* In the opening sequence to ''VideoGame/BioShock2'', your character jumps off a balcony, right foot first. Did I forget to mention that [[spoiler: an enemy's head is directly below your right foot when you do it? If you're curious, 500 pounds of force on someone's head via a diving boot tends to end a conflict]].
* ''[[VideoGame/{{Syndicate}} Syndicate Wars]]'' has a weapon called Satellite Rain, which is a fictional version of Project Thor mentioned in the RealLife section.
* ''VideoGame/EVEOnline'' FanVid [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhVFsvWfqfM Day of Darkness II]] features Gallente [[AttackDrone Sentry Drones]] performing an orbital bombardment. Also, Admiral Tovil-Toba performs a ColonyDrop with his multi-kilometer spaceship.
** And EVE players can provide orbital fire support to their allies playing ''[[VideoGame/DustFiveOneFour Dust 514]]''.
* Once you reach DEFCON 1 in ''[[VideoGame/EndWar Tom Clancy's EndWar]]'', you can deploy a WMD, which for the JSF and EFEC means calling in either a kinetic strike or a [[FrickinLaserBeams frickin laser beam]] from either faction's KillSat.
* ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'''s Alex Mercer does this repeatedly, except he does it with his own body. So it's kind of [[ItsRainingMen It's Raining a Man]] and GoombaStomp. Not that he cannot also hijack aircraft with an unusually large supply of ammunition and use them.
* ''VideoGame/DisgaeaHourOfDarkness'': Laharl's ultimate attack,Meteor Impact [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin is exactly what it sounds like]]
** Generic Star spells, especially at mid- and high-levels, fall under this, too. In ''VideoGame/{{Disgaea 2|CursedMemories}}'', other characters had variations--Sword users, Spear users, Adell, Rozalyn...
* Three of the Imperial class's abilites in ''Videogame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' fit the bill. The Imperial Agent's Orbital Bombardment skill calls in a KillSat. The Inquisitor can conquer a storm of lightning strikes, and the [[HiredGuns Bounty Hunter]]'s is even called "Death From Above", flying into the air and raining missiles down from above.
* Franchise/MassEffect:
** Near the climax of [[VideoGame/MassEffect1 the first game]], AcePilot Joker drops the [[AwesomePersonnelCarrier Mako APC]] almost on top of Saren, from the [[CoolStarship Normandy]].
** ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'': The overhauled Normandy SR-2 provides air support on occasion, like when it does a GunshipRescue for [[PlayerCharacter Commander Shepard]] and [[FourStarBadass Admiral]] [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Anderson]] from the [[AlienInvasion invasion of]] [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs Earth]], at the beginning of the game.
** Also in the third game, this trope is how Shepard kills a Reaper (destroyer-class) on Rannoch: by using a targeting laser to smite it with the combined firepower of [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill the entire quarian fleet. Seven times.]]
* Air Strike mode in ''SplitSecond'' has you racing down the track while a helicopter rains down missiles on you. In the airport race, one [[StuffBlowingUp Power Play]] drops an airplane on your opponents - and it's not just a small plane dropping from a crane. ''[[UpToEleven A jumbo jet crash lands on the runway]]''.
* In the DBZ Games (Raging Blast at least) Base Super Buu has a move that could be called this. He stands still, one hand in the air, and fires Ki blasts straight up. He's only vulnerable for a few split seconds before the ki blasts come back down, stunning you and knocking you to the ground.
* In ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':
** The Bolting (Anima), Eclipse (Dark) and Purge (Light) magical tomes allow the user to attack a target far from their normal one space reach. If a boss has them as one of their weapons, expect them to use it to let you know that [[WakeUpCallBoss they're not to be trifled with.]] ''Especially'' if we're talking about Ursula from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade The Blazing Blade]]'', whose Bolting is ''infamously'' strong -- to the point of "giving birth" to the "FUCKING BOLTIIIIING" [[MemeticMutation minor meme.]]
** Ballistae, giant artillery pieces which allow you to drop heavy projectiles from long distance. They're their own unique class in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight'', ''VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem'', their DS remakes, and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', while in the GBA and Tellius games they are map objects that any Archer or Sniper can mount.
** This is also how [[spoiler: the Battle of Belhalla]] finishes in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar Genealogy of the Holy War]]''. Death by [[spoiler: a "fire rain" via the Meteor spell, courtesy of the court magicians under the orders of the MagnificentBastard who has just killed your leader. Aaaaaahhhhh!!!]]
* ''VideoGame/DuneII''. The Harkonnen can launch a Death Hand missile from their palace(s). It can devastate an enemy complex.
* In the 2009 ''VideoGame/BionicCommando'' Spencer has a ground pound named after this trope. It can only be executed by jumping from great heights.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has the Judgment spell used by Collette, [[spoiler:Mithos, and Kratos]] that rained holy light all over. In the OVA [[spoiler:Kratos]] wipes out a dragon riding army of Renegades with Judgment beams from the clouds.
** Many different spells throughout the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'' in general like Burn Strike, Meteor Storm, and Indignation come down from the sky. A more bizarre recurring example is the Pow Rain spell, which rains ''toy squeaky hammers'' that stun (And in some games damage) whatever they land on.
* Ezio learns how to assassinate from above partway through ''[[VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII Assassin's Creed]]''.
** And in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedBrotherhood'' you can signal your recruits, [[ParanoiaFuel who always are watching from the rooftops, invisible until you call them]], to obliterate rather huge enemy groups by a RainOfArrows.
* Battles against enemy colonies in ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'' often culminate in orbital bombardment. Interestingly, for early and part of the midgame trans-atmospheric Assault Shuttles are more effective at dealing anti-colony damage.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''[='s=] Druid class has 2 spells that shoot a beam of energy from the sky down onto the target.
** Warlocks came make it rain fire. Mages can make it rain ice. And they team up and do it at the ''same time''.
* ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault''[='s=] Multiplayer mode features a rare, but incredibly powerful weapon which invokes this Trope. It is a cylinder that, when planted in the ground, fires a multitude of [[EverythingsBetterWithRainbows colored rockets]] that spread out and bombard the local area. This weapon achieves the widest spread but lowest density if you plant it on the nose of an Arwing you're flying high in the air.
* VideoGame/{{Fallout}}, despite the fact that it's literally taking place in a world that had been in love with nukes, has very few instances of this. Specifically coming to mind are the KillSat facilities you can commandeer in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}'' (''Broken Steel'''s first mission is titled "Death From Above", and Liberty Prime is destroyed this way during that quest) and ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas''. Vegas also has the Boomers, a formerly-Vault-dwelling tribe that ended up taking over an air force base loaded with artillery cannons. If you befriend them and complete their quests, they not only help out in the [[GrandFinale Assault on Hoover Dam]] with their cannon, but with a fully restored [[CoolPlane B-29 Superfortress]], against a bunch of guys in leather armor with machetes. In ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 4}}'', this is the Minutemen's faction power, giving you the ability to call down artillery strikes and shell raider and super mutant camps into dust, [[spoiler:and it's this ability which allows the Minutemen to inflict a CurbStompBattle on the Brotherhood of Steel in the GrandFinale as their CoolAirship gets blown out of the sky and their squads of power armour-equipped {{Elite Mook}}s get torn to pieces from miles away.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonNeon'', one of the late-game enemies, the levitating sorcerer Bao Boshi, has one of his most devastating attacks named after this trope.
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': Having the higher ground affords a tactical advantage to pretty much all of the classes, but the Soldier in particular earns an achievement called "Death From Above" by killing enough enemies in that fashion.
* ''VideoGame/AceCombat''. Many missions are ground attack missions, and you usually can pick how to rain death the enemy. Comes in flavors of multi-targeting missiles, [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill Fuel-Air Explosive bombs]] (just picture a very small nuke explosion), anti-ship missiles, fire-and-forget bomblet dispensers, more bombs of other sizes, bomblet dropping, and [[MacrossMissileMassacre rocket spam.]] That's not counting the death ray of a [[MoreDakka machine gun]] the A-10A has. Did I mention even a fighter can use many of these? It's not just multiroles or attackers anymore.
** In ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'', there's also the KillSat variant. The "Ark Bird" is a white huge manned aircraft that flies in the upper atmosphere layers, and is armed with a [[FrickinLaserBeams laser weapon]] that can shoot down and destroy everything in a large radius. Ace Combat 3 gets you to ''use'' one. The Kill Sat in that iteration will kill anything in one hit, unless when you're indoors (yes, you get to go indoors every once in a while).
** ''VideoGame/AceCombatAssaultHorizon'' ups the ante using the ASM, or Air Strike Mode. Attackers and Multirole-type planes can perform ASM to basically rain death with their special weapons, that gets a much faster reload and hence a literal rain of bombs can occur. This can also happen in multiplayer with ''many'' players [=ASMing=] the enemy base all at once.
*** From the same game, Bomber planes does this in ASM, raining loads of dumb bombs a lot at once, or switching to lock-on capable Guided Precision Bombs. The Bomber is also available in Multiplayer, but with the limitation of only being selectable when the friendly base is below 30%, has no defenses aside from flares, and cannot attack unless a proper ASM point has been established, making it AwesomeButImpractical.
* One of the reasons why the default missile warheads in ''VideoGame/SwordOfTheStars'' are nuclear (the other being that conventional explosives are useless in space). And by no means the only method, assault shuttles, [[SyntheticPlague biowar missiles]], [[ColonyDrop siege drivers]], and to be honest nearly all starship weapons are devastating to planets.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' introduced a combat technique called the Finishing Blow, a OneHitKill that involves Link jumping very high in the air and coming down to [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impale the foe]] on his sword. The same technique reappears in ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword Skyward Sword]]''. In both games, [[spoiler: it is used to finish the final boss]].
* ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'':[[spoiler:Viridi]] is fond of using Reset Bombs (designed reset the Earth to its natural state) as meteors to [[KillAllHumans kill the humans]] or [[spoiler:strike down the Aurum]].
* ''VideoGame/BrainDead13'': In the main entryway scene, Fritz will jump from the top and land on top of Lance, killing him and making a grave. This is [[ImpactSilhouette easily avoided]].
* This is one of Sicthe Meister's new moves in ''{{VideoGame/Rosenkreuzstilette}} Freudenstachel''; she [[TimeStandsStill stops time]], leaps up, resumes time and comes crashing down on the player's head with a giant block from nowhere that shatters upon impact with the floor. We guess she must've learned a lot from [[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure Dio]] lately.

* [[VideoGame/SplinterCell Splinter Cell]] series loves this. One of Sam Fisher's signature move it to climb onto overhead pipes and such to drop on enemies or strangle them, etc.
* At one point in ''VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine'', you have to clear out a hostile camp with mortars. Your first shot is an aerial recon camera that you use to direct your fire. The game takes a turn for the dark when you discover that your only ammunition is white phosphorous. The game then takes an even darker turn when you have to cross the now burned-out camp on foot and get an up-close look at your horrific handiwork. The game manages to go ''even darker'' when [[spoiler: you find a mass of dead refugees, all burned beyond recognition]].
* In ''VideoGame/BioShockInfinite'', the player has a nightmare vision of Manhattan under attack by the sky city of Columbia, emerging from moonlit clouds to rain righteous fire on its heathen streets. Later, [[spoiler:the dream turns out to be a premonition of a BadFuture timeline in which a brainwashed Elizabeth assumes power over the city and uses it and her vast transdimensional powers to conquer the world (and possibly the {{Multiverse}})]]
* ''VideoGame/{{Rage}}'' opens with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99942_Apophis 99942 Apophis]] slamming into Earth.
* ''VideoGame/{{Wolf}}'' will teach you to fear planes and helicopters; human snipers armed with {{Instant Death Bullet}}s prowl the skies with them, just looking for a wolf to shoot. If you see one coming, don't even bother barking to alert your packmates; just tuck your tail between your legs and '''''scram''''', because if that shadow touches you, you're going down in one hit.
* "Meteor Strike" is one of the most expensive spells in vanilla ''VideoGame/{{Clonk}}''. It can be modified to drop liquid granite or monster eggs.
* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter''[='=]s Bow class has the Arc ability, which shoots an arrow up into the air, which then falls back down as one of several different special attacks, such as a RainOfArrows or an explosive blast, depending on the bow's listed Arc skill.
* In ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfLomax'', there are enemies in the first world who fly in balloons and throw bombs at you.
* ''Videogame/{{Warframe}}'' provides players with a few ways to employ this trope:
** The Zephyr Warframe excels at this trope. One of her powers launches her high in to the air, where players can take advantage of her lowered gravity to rain rockets and gunfire on helpless enemies below. She also has the Dive Bomb power that immediately [[GroundPound launches her straight in to the ground]] where she produces a [[ShockwaveStomp damaging shockwave]] garunteed to knockdown almost all enemies in the game. And the damage out of this power grows the further she falls.
** All melee weapons in the game feature [[SwordPlant drop attacks]] in some form but certain weapons have special moves that embody this trope. The Prova, an electrified baton, radiates electricity from the point of impact in, Heat Sword variants create a blast of fire, and the Jat Kittag, a [[RocketPoweredWeapon jet hammer]], creates a shockwave so strong it can launch crowds of enemies extreme distances along with easily killing them.
** A modification players can equip on their Warframe, Heavy Impact, applies a damaging shockwave to players who fall sufficiently fast enough. But when combined with Zephyr's aforementioned Dive Bomb power they become a devastating crowd-clearer.

* [[TheAnnouncer Death from above!]]\\
Round 1\\
''[[VideoGame/DiveKick DIVEKICK!]]'' \\
\\
Well, not always. Some characters can attack from ''below''.
* One of the powers in ''VideoGame/{{Godus}}'' is the metor; allows to you wipe out anything in a small area creating a nice crater too.

* ''Videogame/BattleZone1998'' has the Howitzer mobile turret for the Americans and the DirtyCommunists, which can rain death from over a kilometer away. The sequel with its asymmetrical units has the ISDF Bomber - the most expensive unit - in the game which can OneHitKill anything bar the [[MobileFactory Recycler]] via the "Daywrecker" bomb and flies above the engagement height of most units. The Scions get the Archer, which functions like the Howitzers in the original game but with the addition of being able to fly before anchoring down.
-->Bomber: ''Roger that sir, [[IrrevocableOrder coordinates LOCKED]], orders received... Bombs are away, good day sir!''
* The supernatural bosses in ''VideoGame/DeadfallAdventures'' like to use this sort of attack, in addition to summoning {{Mook}}s. A glowing circle will appear beneath you and slowly grow in size, accompanied by an ominous rumbling. Stay on or near the circle for too long and noisy, fiery death shall be visited upon you.
* ''Videogame/WorldOfTanks'' has two flavors of this:
** Artillery, which lob high-explosive shells all the way across the map, frequently landing on your soft, squishy top armor. Certain artillery can load solid AP shells as well, which are rarely used, but have their place.
** Tanks, which can throw themselves into flying tackles at other tanks. While full physics support has yet to be implemented in-game, gravity can still be used as a last-resort weapon. Particularly heavy tanks, like the Maus for example, can drop onto nearly any tank in the game and crush them to death. Any tank which can survive the initial impact will rapidly lose it's HP, so long as the assailant can remain on top of the unlucky victim.
* In ''VideoGame/AirfixDogfighter'', it would be the secondary weapons meant for destroying earth-bound vehicles and buildings. Also, the planes in general.
* ''VideoGame/AngryBirds2'':
** The Golden Duck spell rains golden ducks on the towers to pop pigs and possibly topple towers.
** In keeping with her falcon-like appearance, the new bird Silver divebombs her target.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Titanfall}}'', calling your titan down on top of an enemy is a OneHitKill.
* Pretty much most {{ShootEmUp}}s fall here, be your aircraft/spaceship/whatever, be the bomb attack (for example, in the first game of the ''VideoGame/AeroFighters'', the bomb of the Harrier is to call several [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Vulcan Vulcans]] to carpet bomb the screen.)
* ''{{VideoGame/Foxhole}}'' features many ways to rain explosive death on your enemies; including mortars, howitzers, field artillery, and [[GrenadeLauncher rifle grenades]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'':
** Resident [[FanNickname rocket queen]] Pharah Amari has jump jets, concussion blasts and a rocket launcher. Her ultimate ability rains a barrage of rockets ([[MemeticMutation and justice]]) upon the enemy.
** To a lesser extent, there's Doomfist, who's ultimate has him leap into the air and come crashing down, dealing huge damage to anything he lands on.
* ''VideoGame/StickFight'':
** Potentially lethal obstacles that come from the sky feature in several stages. One such stage has a number of lasers that fire from the top of the screen to the right and gradually rotate to the left, insta-killing players if they're hit. Another has a platform hanging from a chain with spikes on the bottom that can be dropped on players.
** Every so often, a boss stage is played in which one player is transformed into a flying creature that rains projectiles on the other players in changing patterns.
* One level in ''VideoGame/Gamer2'' has Hailey plummeting through an endless sky dodging falling debris.
* In ''VideoGame/RavenswordShadowlands'', the hostile pterodactyls that live in the Craigs are the only flying enemy, and are an absolute ''nightmare'' to deal with if they spot you.

* ''VideoGame/BinkyShow'': If you hear [[BigBad Binky]] giggle, it means that a flaming cart is about to fall from the sky.
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' has a few characters whose final attack in their [[LimitBreak S-Craft]] pull off this trope. Examples include [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky Agate]], [[MasterSwordsman Aurelia]], [[BladeOnAStick Gaius]], and [[spoiler:[[HeelFaceTurn Crow]] in ''Cold Steel IV''.]]
* ''VideoGame/FlamingZombooka'': The Dropper makes mini-bombs fall from above, likely killing all the zombies unlucky enough to be underneath.
* In ''VideoGame/DarkDevotion'', the late game boss Elinor can jump high into the air and come crashing down on the player's head seconds later, spearpoint first.

* ''WebAnimation/{{Dreamscape}}'': Eleenin can fire a beam of light upon her enemy from overhead.

* In the Joe Oriolo WesternAnimation/FelixTheCat cartoon "Master Cylinder Captures Poindexter", Master Cylinder has hijacked a meteor and has sent it hurtling towards Earth, with the impact site being Professor's lab and the intention being to destroy the Earth. Felix and Poindexter take the Flying Saucer to it and try to reverse its path with Poinsy's Atomic Jet Pusher, but Master Cylinder steals the device and kidnaps him, escaping and leaving Felix for dead, pinned to a rock by a detachable claw while the meteor continues hurtling towards Earth. Felix manages to break free, and ties Poindexter's flying saucer to the meteor to redirect it towards a crater and inside the moon, where it explodes harmlessly.
* Done in grand fashion in ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'', the animated series on the WB. [[TheJuggernaut Apocalypse]] is running amok somewhere in Mexico, all other X-Men around have failed to dent him. Enter the new fully evolved Magneto, [[TheCape cape billowing]] behind him. He proceeds to use his powers to slam man-made satellites into Apocalypse. Mind you, all that does is [[BrokeYourArmPunchingOutCthulhu piss Apocalypse off]].
* Not strictly Death From Above, but in Creator/DreamWorks' ''WesternAnimation/ThePrinceOfEgypt'' the fiery hail is gloriously rendered as a serious, sky-lighting event.

** [[BigBulkyBomb GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast "MOAB" bomb]] - The largest conventional explosive device known to man (unless you ask the Russians, who have yet to prove otherwise), this bomb has to be dropped from a cargo plane because it's too big to be dropped by a B-52.

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1329952038047800100
%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.

* In ''Anime/ValvraveTheLiberator'', the heroes do battle with Dorssia's crown jewel of planetary air combat-the Ideal Blume. L-Elf knows that its meant to spam relatively light machine gun fire down on land emplacements with weak upper armor, so when he selects a team to destroy it, he picks (among others) the Valvrave with the best shielding to defy this Trope. He even mentions that top-notch mecha like the Valvraves make that kind of airship obsolete.
* All of the Kings in ''Anime/{{K}}'' have a SwordOfDamocles that hangs above their head and serves as an indicator of their powers. When these swords fall, however, they destroy a lot more than just the one King - ''miles'' of land turned into a crater, entire Clans killed, plus tons of civilians, the topography of the country forever altered, due to a King losing control and overextending his power.
* Dio Brando's [[MemeticMutation (in)famous]] steamroller attack, featured near the end of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders''. '''''ROADA ROLLER DA!!!'''''
* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean'' features Viviano Westwood's Stand, Planet Waves. When active, Planet Waves pulls Meteorites towards Westwood, burning them away before they make contact with him. Ones flying towards other people though will not do so. Now imagine that power being active during a fist-fight...

* Servant Caster from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'' is rather fond of this, especially in the sequel ''VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia''. Being able to create FrickinLaserBeams with a single word (whereas the regular magus would need 30 seconds and a small ritual), and capable of flight, she {{Beam Spam}}s her enemies who have almost no chance of fighting back.

* ''Manga/{{Akira}}'':
** In the manga at least, there is an [[KillSat orbital laser]] called Pink Floyd, which the [[GreyAndGrayMorality good-ish]] guys hacked to put the trigger on a hand-held GPS.
--->'''Random Mook:''' What? Was that supposed to do something?
** In the ''AKIRA'' film, The Colonel orders SOL (Solar Orbital Laser) to attempt to target [[spoiler:Tetsuo]], a boy who has attained powerful but uncontrollable psychic powers.
* In ''Manga/HeavensLostProperty'', Ikaros uses a cork-minigun in a shoot-out competition to get rid of a lot of participants. All whilst flying.
* [[Anime/HeartcatchPrettyCure HEARTCATCH ORCHESTRA!]] Despite its name, the true nature of the attack is to summon a [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever giant pink haired woman]] who punches her enemies [[https://youtu.be/s3Epi7ArY5A?t=66 from above with a PowerFist!]]
* The ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' [=Starmon/SuperStarmon=] have the "Meteor Shower/Squall" attack.
* ''Anime/MekakucityActors'': The fate suffered by [[spoiler:Hiyori]] in episode 4 via [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice many iron poles]]. [[spoiler:The worst part is that this isn't the first (''or last'') time either]].

* Itona Horibe of ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'' attacks Koro-sensei from above via CombatTentacles. It's rather hard to tell how he's keeping himself off the ground.
* ''Manga/GoldenKamuy'': Wolverines in Karafuto climb to trees so they can jump down on preys and attack their spine.

* The skyfurnaces in Christian Gossett's ''The Red Star'', mile-long, heavily armored airships armed with Warkasters (military sorceresses). Each kaster is suspended in a special chamber that allows her to project herself temporarily as a concentrated beam of heat. The effect is pretty terrifying.
* TheCavalry version of BigDamnHeroes coming from above can be seen in ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'', in which it is dubbed a "Force from on high." Also subverted, as the superheroes involved do not kill anybody.

* In ''Film/StarshipTroopers'', carpet bombing a planet is shown to be much more effective than simply dropping the Mobile Infantry on the ground and letting them shoot it out. This phrase is also on the tattoo that Rico, Ace, Dizzy and Kitten get before the Battle of Big K.
* The penultimate scene of ''Film/StarshipTroopers3Marauder'' has the Marauder team dropping from the night sky (first appearing as a halo of lights around Holly's head) in answer to Holly and Lola's prayers. After they're rescued a Q-Bomb is then used to destroy the entire planet.
* As part of things getting downright biblical in ''Film/{{The Mummy|1999}}'', it literally starts raining fire from above as the Mummy gains power, setting people in the streets on fire and destroying a minaret.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** The various Star Destroyer-type vessels are equipped for orbital bombardment; the ExpandedUniverse says they were ''designed around the task'', which is part of why they so heavily outgunned everything else in space at the time and had such an advantage against other vessels designed for starship combat. Being more discretionary, it wasn't really in the Rebel Alliance nor New Republics playbook even when they captured Star Destroyers, but in the novel ''[[Literature/NewJediOrder Rebel Dream]]'', they decide to exploit the fact that the enemy never faced the Galactic Empire. A Super Star Destroyer uses this tactic while ''defending'' -- by using ground troops to force the enemy into specific locations on the planet below, where they could safely be blown to bits. Repeatedly.
** And of course there's the Death Star, designed specifically to blow up a planet.
** The Republic Attack Cruisers/''Venator''-class Star Destroyers from the prequel featured similar systems, but they had a unique drawback: because of the placement of their weapons, they were great for orbital bombardment, but crap for ship-to-ship combat. This was fixed with the later Star Destroyers.
** ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' adds conventional artillery used by the clonetroopers, devastating enough that half a dozen ''wiped out an army''.
* ''Film/RedDawn1984''. After the [[{{Mooks}} Soviet army]] and even [[EliteMooks Spetznaz commandos]] prove ineffective in wiping out the [[LaResistance American guerrillas]], the Reds bait a trap with some supplies that 'accidentally' fell off a truck, then send in three Hind gunships.

* In the beginning of ''Film/Suspiria1977'', after the first victim is killed, she falls through the stained glass skylight, several pieces of which end up impaling her roommate who's standing below.

* ''Film/ThreeHundred'':
-->'''Persian:''' Our arrows will blot out the sun!\\
'''Stelios:''' [[SubvertedTrope Then we will fight in the shade.]]
** Later, it actually happens, and the Spartans have a "you just ''had'' to say it, didn't you?" moment while they all huddle under their shields and laugh.
* ''Film/{{Armageddon}}'' and ''Film/DeepImpact'' both revolved around meteor impacts.

* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'':
** Narrator Jake describes himself as this after he bonds with his Ikran. His feelings of lethality last up until he is attacked by Death From Above in the form of a predator almost five times as big.
** The Na'vi word for the great leonopteryx, "Toruk", means [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Last Shadow"]].
** In the battle at the end, Jake and his Toruk lead the Na'vi flyers in a diving ambush on the RDA's gunships. Their bows, shown to lack the power to penetrate the gunship canopies when fired up from the ground, are much more effective with the force of a diving Ikran behind them.
* Invoked in a grand display of helicopters and napalm bombing during ''Film/ApocalypseNow''. For perspective, Lt. ColonelKilgore of the [[TheCavalry Air Cavalry division]] is somewhat reluctant to assist Captain Willard in his mission but when he hears that there is a good beach nearby occupied by the enemy that would just so happen to go Willard's way he decides to lead his men into battle in a formation of helicopters. As the helicopters close in on the Vietcong he plays "Music/RideOfTheValkyries" to intimidate them and then they rain fiery death down upon them and as the helicopters land to let the men down onto the ground one of the helicopters humorously has "Death From Above" stamped on its nose. The battle goes well enough but Kilgore gets frustrated, that the enemy are being so persistent as he would just like to go ahead and surf the beach already, and decides to call in a massive napalm strike to end the battle. When all is said and done Kilgore temporarily forgets about the surfing and in the ecstasy of the moment notes how much he loves to watch explosions like that famously saying, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning (...) It smells like victory."
* ''Film/TheRock'' has an example of one side of the protagonists doing this to another due to PoorCommunicationKills: The VX gas threat was neutralised so late and the signal indicating the all-clear took so long to transmit to the bombers sent to destroy the Alcaztraz facilities (holding the terrorists and the VX gas) that by the time it gets through, one missile has already been launched.
* In ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'', The male Muto employs a hit and run strategy using its wings, and dive-bombs [[spoiler:the boat carrying the nuclear bomb the military intended to use to kill him, the female, and Franchise/{{Godzilla}}.]]
* The eponymous threat of ''Film/{{Sharknado}}'' forces people to dodge falling sharks. At one point, the Hollywood sign also becomes a dangerous projectile. ''Film/Sharknado2TheSecondOne'' uses this trope to come up with what may be the first shark movie fatality caused by a whale shark.
* In ''Film/DraculaUntold'', Vlad invokes this when he drops his bat army right on top of the Ottomans.

* In ''Film/TheSkydivers'', Suzy and Frank are gunnecd down from air.
* ''Film/ErnestGoesToCamp'': Takes the form of snapping turtles with parachutes. And ''these'' snapping turtles have a taste for human noses. Ernest even says, "Death from above!" [[MundaneMadeAwesome Their descent is set to "Ride of the Valkyries," no less!]]

* Zeus's Master Lightning Bolt in the ''Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians'' series is a prime example of this trope.
-->"A two-foot long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god-level explosives." "The bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."
%%** Chiron to Percy in ''[[Literature/PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians The Lightning Thief]]''.

* In the Darkwar Trilogy of the ''Literature/RiftwarCycle'', an epic-level demon is going through a portal connecting from the Dasati dimension to the [[spoiler:world of Kelewan]]. Pug's answer? Evacuate the world and drop the moon on top of the portal. He did it a couple of decades before, by firebombing the flagship of an invading fleet. His fireball bounced back, however.
* ''Literature/{{Anathem}}'' had Rodding. Very simple. Drop a large dense rod from orbit at hypersonic speeds [[spoiler:into a dormant volcano]]. Boom. Repeat.

* In the ''[[Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia Narnia]]'' book ''The Horse and His Boy,'' the main villain, having somehow found himself at a higher elevation than his enemies, declares "The bolt of Tash falls from above!" leaping upon his enemies... and getting caught on a hook halfway down to dangle helplessly for the rest of the battle. As if that wasn't bad enough, the villain - having not learned his lesson - repeats the above line again during a rant against the heroes, prompting one of them to [[DeadpanSnarker rub it in]] by asking, "Does it ever get caught on a hook halfway?" Apparently, yes, it does.
* A similar system is described in Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/TheMoonIsAHarshMistress'', where a Moon colony uses metal-sheathed multiton rocks tossed at Earth as a weapon - a highly effective and cheap weapon - which would strike any point on Earth with the energy of a tactical nuclear strike.
* Similarly, ''Shatterpoint'' had [=DOKAWs=], De-Orbiting Kinetic Anti-emplacement Weapons, described as 200-ton metal rods with thrusters on them. They were lethal, if somewhat less than accurate.

* The Western Galactic Empire of Robert Zubrin's ''Literature/TheHolyLand'' uses Psioray bombardment. Capable of wide-area bombardment, accurate to within one-tenth of a percent of the range fired, can be tuned to only affect specific groups of beings (even more specifically than species), and reduces the targets to less than an inch in height, while leaving, for instance, local birds, lizards, and predatory insects the same size.
* ''Literature/TheGanymedeTakeover'' (by Creator/PhilipKDick and Robert Nelson) has The Shaft, a miniature psychotropic autonomic dart fired from a satellite, used to kill (on an individual basis) a vast number of key technicians and leaders during the alien invasion.
* ''Literature/TheWarAgainstTheChtorr''. In an interesting inversion, a group of renegades attempting to booby-trap a helicopter landing field are exposed to a counter-ambush when an orbiting solar mirror is suddenly turned on the area.
* ''The Reality Dysfunction'' (part of the ''Literature/NightsDawn'' trilogy by Creator/PeterFHamilton). A special forces team floating down a river through enemy territory get some sudden and unexpected support when 5,000 precision-guided kinetic energy harpoons fired from a spaceship slam into the banks on either side. The harpoons are falling so fast no-one hears them until after they land. Then they ''really'' hear them.

* In ''Literature/{{Footfall}}'' (by Creator/LarryNiven and Jerry Pournelle) the alien invaders have two versions of this. First, they use space-based lasers and the 'Rods From God' described below to destroy Earth's military forces and insurgents; later, after [[spoiler: Kansas is nuked to defeat their first invasion they land the eponymous 'Foot' (an asteroid) in the Indian Ocean to try to force Earth's surrender (it doesn't work)]].
* In ''[[Literature/{{Conqueror}} Bones of the Hills]]'', when Jochi and Jebe are being pursued by Khalifa, Jochi sarcastically suggests dropping boulders on the Arabs. Jebe thinks that's a great idea. And it works.
* In Creator/MercedesLackey's ''Literature/DragonJousters'' series, Jousters [[DragonRider ride dragons]] and [[AirJousting Air Joust]] each other, when there are Jousters on each side of the war. When Jousters either don't find their enemy counterparts or manage to drive off or kill them, they turn on the ground armies, swooping down to have their dragons snatch up a commander, carry him high into the air... and drop him on his own forces. This is said to be highly demoralizing. One of the good Jousters, Ari, has a HeroicBSOD when the group of Jousters he was with, having some spare time, does this to the civilians in an enemy village, even joking about painting a target next time for more sport.
* In ''Literature/TheDarkSideOfTheSun'' by Creator/TerryPratchett it's orbital bombardment with ''[[SpaceWhale eggs]]'':
--> '''flying bot''': Crackdown in this area is forecast in ten minutes. Don your protective clothing or seek chthonic safety.
--> '''flying bot''': Crackdown! Crackdown! Beware of the eggs!
* Since flying warriors (Knights Aeris) are pretty much standard in any army in ''Literature/CodexAlera'', this was inevitable. But Tavi's idea for how to use his vast numbers of mediocre Knights (most of whom couldn't fly properly) against an army in the third book really takes the cake: [[spoiler:he had them scale up a telescope spell, and had Max use the giant lens to turn the sunlight into a freaking ''DeathRay''.]]
* ''Death from the Skies'' by Phil Plait, a mostly non-fiction book about [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin all the ways the universe could kill us]].
* In the ''Literature/WingCommander'' novel ''Fleet Action'', multiple Terran Confederation planets are bombarded from orbit by a massive [[CatFolk Kilrathi]] fleet the humans are unable to stop, using {{antimatter}} warheads and dirty nukes specifically employed to sterilize worlds.

* Mentioned to have happened in the history of Wellakh in the Literature/YoungWizards series: their sun is somewhat unstable and flared, burning half the planet to a featureless plain and killing anyone who was there at the time, along with a good number of their wizards in the effort to stop it.
* In Creator/JackMcDevitt's ''Literature/TheAcademyNovels'', the Omega Clouds are gigantic, mysterious artifacts which travel through the galaxy, coming in waves about 8,000 years apart. They investigate planets they pass, and rain down electrical death from the skies on any civilization foolish enough to use right angles in their architecture.

* As might be expected, the [[LensmanArmsRace Lensmen get into this particular Arms Race]]. If you're ''lucky'', they're just tossing bombs at you. If you get them ''really'' mad, they target you with [[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale a couple of planets moving at several times]] ''[[SciFiWritersHaveNoSenseOfScale c]]''. With diametrically opposed vectors. It's called the "nutcracker", and the results are described as the creation of a new, temporary star.
* Bomber planes rain down destruction during the final battle in ''Literature/TheLeonardRegime''.
* In the ''Literature/AgeOfFire'' series, this is how [[ActionGirl Wistala]] finishes off [[EvilOverlord Gobold Fangbreaker]]. When she sees him and his PraetorianGuard fleeing from the siege of his fortress on boat, she grabs a fallen longpoon (an artillery projectile that's basically a giant harpoon with a ball-and-chain on one end), carries it as far into the air as she can, and then drops it on the boat. Gobold is presumably either crushed or drowned in the process.

* In ''Literature/TwentyThreeTwelve'', most of the bases around the solar system have advanced systems to detect and protect them from meteor strikes. But they can't see the "pebble mob" - lots of tiny rocks launched independently [[ImprobableAimingSkills with exact precision from millions of miles away]], to land on the same spot at the same time.
* The final attack by the [[Literature/TheFarsideTrilogy Voitusotar]] in The Lion Returns they launch a solar flare-based death ray that they could direct to hit whatever they want. [[spoiler: The only people it ever hits are voitu because Curtis Macurdy shorts out the spell.]]
* The "Hard Rain" in ''Literature/{{Seveneves}}'' consists of a 5,000 year long bombardment of Earth by pieces of the [[DetonationMoon mysteriously exploded Moon]] [[spoiler: sterilizing the surface of the Earth]].
* In ''Literature/RogueStar'', the ''sun'' reaches out a tendril of plasma for a precision strike on Cliff Hawk's underground laboratory, where he's researching rogue stars. The results are unfortunate for the lab and the people inside it, but no more than annoying for the newly born baby star.

* In Antti Tuuri's ''Literature/TheWinterWar'', Russian artillery bombardments and harrassing airplanes are present more often than not.

* An episode of ''Series/{{CSI}}'' had a victim who died when a raptor dropped a turtle shell onto his bald head as he was meditating in the desert.

* ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' begins with the nuclear annihilation of humanity by the Cylons. And toward the beginning of season 3 when liberating New Caprica, Adama decides to attack by jumping the Galactica into the atmosphere and launching its fighters and shuttles from there, jumping back out just before hitting the dirt.

* ''Series/SonsOfGuns'' had an episode where the crew rigged a machine gun to be door-mounted on a helicopter. The episode ended with them shooting it at a junked car on the ground, [[EveryCarIsAPinto which exploded when it was hit]].
* ''Series/RobotWars'' had the drop zone, where an immobilized robot would be placed on a spot on the arena floor and something would be dropped from the ceiling (including a television, an oven, bowling balls, and one of the VideoGames dropped a grand piano!)

* ''Series/BabylonFive'':
** At the end of the second season, the Centauri use mass drivers to bombard the homeworld of their long-time enemies the Narns. In Season 3, the effects are shown -- including altered climate due to atmospheric dust.
** Also almost the fate of Earth, at the end of Clarke's presidency of the Earth Alliance.
** Later on, the Narn, with the help of the Drazi, proceed to Centauri Prime to return the favor, though they at least restrain themselves to only using conventional heavy weapons (causing untold thousands of deaths, as opposed to the Centauri's attack on Narn being essentially a WMD attack severe enough that even the Vorlons gave them a WhatTheHellHero response.
** The ExpandedUniverse provides information on the ground forces, revealing that Earth Alliance, Narn, Centauri, Orieni and Minbari all have some form of artillery (ranging from Earth infantry mortars to the Minbari gravitic howitzers that fire ''{{Antimatter}} shells}}'') and aircrafts capable of attacking ground targets (ranging from the Minbari repurposed starfighters to Earth's ''[[NoKillLikeOverkill strategic bombers]]''). By no mere coincidence, these are by far the strongest ground forces in the setting.
* In ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'', this is how Venjix is ultimately defeated, [[spoiler:with Gem and Gemma shooting out the supports of the overhanging Command Center, causing the entire structure to fall right on top of Venjix's robotic form]].
* This is how the Thunder Ultrazord from ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''[='=] second season defeats enemies: Falling on them.
* Franchise/StarTrek has shown cases of orbital bombardment a few times, and discussed the possibility a few times more. "[[Recap/StarTrekS2E17APieceOfTheAction A Piece of the Action]]" had ''non-lethal'' orbital bombardment (a precision phaser blast from the ''Enterprise'' set on stun).
* ''Series/TheUnit'' never shows the plane, just a missile coming out of nowhere like the fist of an angry god. On one occasion the boys joked about it a little.
--> '''Jonas:''' Does the State Department know [that you traded a terrorist for me]?\\
'''Bob:''' No. But the Air Force does.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
** Numerous spells such as [[PlayingWithFire Flame Pillar, Flame Strike, Meteor Shower]], [[KillItWithWater Storm of Vengeance]], [[AnIcePerson Hail Storm]], and [[ShockAndAwe Call Lightning]]. It's more common amongst Divine Spellcasters, because Gods enjoy this kind of smiting.
** There's a frequently devised tactic relying on summoning and creation spells. Create a large rock five feet above your target's head and they die easily enough, or summon a horse over them, or whatever.
*** As of at least 3.0 Edition, if not earlier, the rules for such spells explicitly do not allow this, as they specify that summoned creatures/items have to appear on the ground. However, there are still a few ways to accomplish something similar -- the Earthquake spell can cause a cave-in if cast in an underground cavern, while enemies can be buried alive by using Transmute Rock to Mud or [[FromBadToWorse Transmute Rock to Lava]] on a cave's ceiling.
*** The spell Cometfall exists explicitly to do the summon rock trick as an actual attack spell.
*** Dimension Door (4th level teleport, self + about 200lbs) + Feather Fall (2nd level, "take no falling damage"). Choose your rock. Touch it. ''Dimension Door''. Drop the rock. The Forgotten Realms setting allows [[BizarreBiology Fey'ri]] (half-succubus elf) characters to do this at ''level one'', with an innate ability and wings.
** There is a Tiger Claw technique in the ''Tome of Battle'' named Death from Above. You jump over your enemy, attack for massive damage, and then dismount anywhere next to the enemy.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'':
** ''Warhammer Fantasy'' gives us the spells ''Comet of Casandora'', ''Forked Lightning'' and ''Uranon's Thunderbolt''. Pretty much ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.
** Previous editions also had a particularly impressive exploit based around this trope: anything which went from "Flying High" to ground level without going through the intermediate steps did an impressive number of high strength wounds to itself and whatever it *ahem* "landed" on. This was bad enough with Gryphons, Dragons and Giant Eagles and so forth, but some creatures (like Greater Daemons) were immune to non-magical damage (including falling damage)...
%%* ''TabletopGame/NuclearWar''. 'nuff said.
* Even space-combat game ''TabletopGame/StarfleetBattles'' has a few in the Marines supplement for planetary combat. You can use Transporter Artillery (teleport a load of anti-personnel and anti-vehicular bombs over the enemy), or, should transporters not be feasible, load the bombs into a missile casing and have a fighter drop it as a cluster bomb. Then there's the fighters that can make strafing runs, and the dedicated ground-attack shuttles...
* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': the {{MegaCorp}}s maintain Thor systems (see Real Life below). Rumor has it that the Corporate Court will only permit a corporation to drop a Thor shot on a target with an Omega Order sanction. The last time they were openly used was during the offensive against [[ApocalypseCult Winternight]] immediately before Crash 2.0. One was also deployed [[NoKillLikeOverkill specifically to kill Art Dankwalther]], who had been using his bequest from Dunkelzahn's will to attack Novatech.
* ''TabletopGame/{{BeastThePrimordial}}'': An Ugallu's true form is usually some kind of flying monster - [[JustifiedTrope as befitting the Family that represents the fear that something from the sky is stalking you and could snatch you up at any moment.]]

* In possibly the deadliest single incident of this in history, approximately 2500 people were killed in a series of coordinated attacks on September 11, 2001, in which terrorists flew three hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The ground death toll was meant to be even ''higher'', as a fourth attack was planned (exact target unknown, but likely somewhere in Washington, DC[[note]]Most theories point towards the Washington Monument, the Capitol Building, or the White House itself[[/note]]), but passengers learned of the earlier attacks and fought back; the plane was prematurely brought down in a field, killing everyone aboard but sparing further ground casualties.

* A common counter-sniping tactic is to call in an artillery strike, or barring that, an AlphaStrike. And while there's no guarantee of success in this venture, it has become standard procedure when dealing with suspected sniper nests since {{UsefulNotes/SimoHayha Simo Häyhä}}'s reign of terror on the Red Army during the Winter War.

* [[TykeBomb Itona Horibe]] of ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'' attacks Koro-sensei from above via CombatTentacles. It's rather hard to tell how he's keeping himself off the ground.

* Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}:
** ''Comicbook/RedDaughterOfKrypton'' [[Franchise/GreenLantern Bleez]] asked one of her teammates [[spoiler:to use their flagship's enormous laser cannon to blast her and her brainwashed friend from space.]]
** In ''Comicbook/ManyHappyReturns'', Kara's telescopic vision warned her that a meteorite was about to collide with Earth, which would kill all living beings. She wanted to solve the situation by ''pushing Earth out of the way'', but Linda assured her that the Justice League would deal with it.

* ''Comicbook/SupermanVsTheAmazingSpiderMan'': After taking over a KillSat, Comicbook/LexLuthor sent a high-intensity laser probe into the Earth's atmosphere, scrambling the weather, threatening with completely unbalancing the entire Earth's ecology, and almost creating a hurricane which would engulf the planet.

* In the AbridgedSeries ''WebVideo/ScootertrixTheAbridged'', Equestria has a fleet of Earth Pony built zeppelins and the as of yet, unseen Pegasus ''cloud fortresses'', who unite to bombard Sombra's [[UndeadMooks zombie army]], [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome after the three way war begins in episode 18.]]

* In ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'' we have the Bolting (Anima), Eclipse (Dark) and Purge (Light) magical tomes, allowing the user to attack a target far from their normal one space reach. If a boss has them as one of their weapons, expect them to use it to let you know that [[WakeUpCallBoss they're not to be trifled with.]] ''Specially'' if we're talking about Ursula from ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Blazing Sword]]'', whose Bolting is ''infamously'' strong -- to the point of "giving birth" to the "FUCKING BOLTIIIIING" [[MemeticMutation minor meme.]]
** This was also how [[spoiler: the Battle of Barhera]] finished in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemJugdral Genealogy of the Holy War]]''. Death by [[spoiler: a "fire rain" via the Meteor spell, courtesy of the court magicians under the orders of the MagnificentBastard who has just killed your leader. Aaaaaahhhhh!!!]]

* In possibly the deadliest single incident of this in history, approximately 2500 people were killed in a series of coordinated attacks on September 11, 2001, in which terrorists flew three hijacked planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The ground death toll was meant to be even ''higher'', as a fourth attack was planned (exact target unknown, but likely somewhere in Washington, DC), but passengers learned of the earlier attacks and fought back; the plane was prematurely brought down in a field, killing everyone aboard but sparing further ground casualties.

** And yet again in [[Series/{{CSINY}} CSI: New York]], when a construction worker is found dead inside a port-a-potty, and the fecal residue found in the injury -- a hole in his head -- is justified early on as contamination from the scene. Turns out, he was the victim of a very, very unlucky (and timely) leak in an airplane stall.

** Used to unnerving yet [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments hilarious]] effect in ''Literature/BloodRites'', where a frozen turkey falling from a commercial airliner kills a vampire in a "freak accident" caused by a malicious curse. The 'done' button popping out is a nice touch.

* Since flying warriors (Knights Aeris) are pretty much standard in any army in ''Literature/CodexAlera'', this was inevitable. But Tavi's idea for how to use his vast numbers of mediocre Knights (most of whom couldn't fly properly) against an army in the third book really [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome takes the cake]]: [[spoiler:he had them scale up a telescope spell, and had Max use the giant lens to turn the sunlight into a freaking ''DeathRay''.]]

* Massed artillery in ''VideoGame/WargameEuropeanEscalation'' is an extremely effective tactic. Building [[CripplingOverspecialization an entire]] [[GlassCannon army]] out of artillery, on the other hand, almost never works, but is, on occasion, [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments hilarious]].

* Franchise/StarTrek has shown cases of orbital bombardment a few times, and discussed the possibility a few times more. ''Recap/StarTrekS2E17APieceOfTheAction'' had ''non-lethal'' orbital bombardment (a precision phaser blast from the ''Enterprise'' set on stun).