History Main / FaceDeathWithDespair

* ''Film/LethalWeapon'': BigBad General Peter McAllister]] spends his last seconds on Earth freaking out at the fact that he is trapped in his car, which is upside-down and on fire, and said fire is [[StuffBlowingUp about to set off the handful of grenades he brought with him]].

* ''Film/LethalWeapon1'': [[BigBad General Peter McAllister]] spends his last seconds on Earth freaking out at the fact that he is trapped in his car, which is upside-down and on fire, and said fire is [[StuffBlowingUp about to set off the handful of grenades he brought with him]].

** [[EvilChancellor Prime Minister Honest]], the BigBad, also goes out screaming and begging for his life, as he faces a ''particularly'' [[CruelAndUnusualDeath Cruel And Unusual]] UndignifiedDeath at the hands of a bunch of very angry Revolutionaries.

Oftentimes, when characters realize they are about to die, they FaceDeathWithDignity, calmly accepting their fate. Other times, not so much. This trope is when a character completely breaks in the face of death, [[AintTooProudToBeg pleading for their life]], reduced to InelegantBlubbering, or expressing a complete lack of desire to die. Some choose to completely shed any trace of dignity as they're about to die.

This trope can be used to invoke different audience reactions depending on how it applies to your characters. On a sympathetic or likeable character, it becomes a tool used for horror, shock, and tragedy as said character suffers in their final moments. A strong audience reaction often happens if the likeable or sympathetic character about to die is [[DeathOfAChild a young child]] ([[MenAreTheExpendableGender this is even more true if the young child is a she]]). If your character is a HateSink or otherwise unsympathetic, it can be a source of satisfaction, letting [[LaserGuidedKarma karma play out for everything that character's done]]. The latter is more likely to go out with an utter lack of dignity. Often this is the prelude to a CruelAndUnusualDeath.

** Discussed in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E6TheTalonsOfWengChiang "The Talons of Weng-Chiang"]]. While they are being held captive by the followers of Weng-Chiang (AKA Magnus Greel) Jago speculates to Litefoot that they are going to be killed, then adds that he's "not all that brave when it comes to it", meaning being confronted with the prospect of one's own death. Litefoot says he doesn't suppose anyone is particularly brave under those circumstances, to which Jago says he thought he should tell him anyway in case he "let the side down" by losing control of his emotions when the time came. Litefoot assures him that he won't, though it never comes to that.

** Discussed in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS14E6TheTalonsOfWengChiang "The Talons of Weng-Chiang"]]. While they are being held captive by the followers of Weng-Chiang (AKA Magnus Greel) Jago speculates to Litefoot that they are going to be killed, then adds that he's "not all that brave when it comes to it", meaning being confronted with the prospect of one's own death. Litefoot says he doesn't suppose anyone is particularly brave under those circumstances, to which Jago says he thought he should tell him anyway in case he "let the side down" when the time came. Litefoot assures him that he won't, though it never comes to that.

* ''Series/TheSopranos'': Adriana, who has been revealed to be a rat spends her last moments before being executed in the middle of the Pine Warrens dragging themselves away from her executioner and repeatedly moaning out a pitiful "no!".

** [[spoiler:Gibbs, the traitorous Secret Service agent]] spends his last seconds before Air Force One crashes in the Black Sea (after he's been left behind to die by [[ActionPolitician President Marshall]]) moaning in despair.

* ''Series/TheSopranos'': [[spoiler:Adriana, who has been revealed to be a rat]] spends their last moments before being executed in the middle of the Pine Warrens dragging themselves away from their executioner and repeatedly moaning out a pitiful "no!".

** [[spoiler:Gibbs, the traitorous Secret Service agent]] spends his last seconds before Air Force One crashes in the Black Sea (after he's been left behind to die by [[BadassPresident President Marshall]]) moaning in despair.

* ''Film/AirForceOne'': The hijackers hold a gun to the head of the president's Deputy Press Secretary to force him to come out of hiding. She cries and begs for her life until the moment they shoot her.

* ''Videogame/{{ULTRAKILL}}:'' In contrast with his fellow {{Superboss}} [[spoiler:[[IRegretNothing Sisyphus Prime]]]], [[spoiler:Minos Prime]]'s last words are of utter despair. Not because he himself is afraid to die, but because in reaching FinalDeath so soon he has failed to bring salvation, or even ''avenge'', his subjects (and mankind as a whole).

* ''Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse'': During DC's He-Man: Eternity War, when the heroes manage to free Eternos from Hordak's clutches they also manage to capture "Lord" Imp, who is acting as governor of the city. Almost immediately the snakemen want to cut off his head and Imp, in a display of what a craven coward he is, immediately begins blubbering for mercy despite having spent his tenure as a villain with 0% approval rating.
* ''ComicBook/TransformersLastStandOfTheWreckers'': This shows up a lot, as the miniseries is a [[WarIsHell deconstruction of the portrayal of heroic portrayals of warfare]]. The Decepticon Borehole pleads for his life and attempts to flee before being torn apart by Kickoff. Pyro spends the entire series searching for the [[DeathSeeker perfect, glorious death]] but when he actually tries to make a LastStand he winds up whimpering in fear as he's overwhelmed by a horde of angry Decepticons. [[spoiler: Skyfall]] is DrivenToSuicide when he finds out that all the crimes he's ever committed have been broadcast to all of the Autobots. And then realizes that the method he used to kill himself is [[CruelAndUnusualDeath neither fast nor painless]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'': In his last moments, Scar calls the hyenas his "friends" as he hadn't tossed all the blame on them shortly before and they didn't hear him. The hyenas, of course, won't buy that and jump over Scar as he cowers, begs and tries to make excuses for his betrayal.

** In Season 6, Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish gets exposed as the one who betrayed Ned Stark which kickstarted the War of the Five Kings. During the trial, he kneels down and begs Sansa Stark to spare him because he loves her. Sansa, who had been his pawn for most of the series, refuses and lets her sister, Arya, execute him.

* At the end of ''Film/SawI'', Adam is shell-shocked when the Jigsaw Killer reveals himself before him. After being electrocuted by Jigsaw and watching him shut the bathroom lights and walk out the door, Adam breaks down screaming in despair as the killer seals the door and leaves him to die.
-->'''Jigsaw''': Most people are so ungrateful to be alive... but not you. Not anymore. ''[Walks out the bathroom's door as Adam screams incoherently]'' [[PreMortemOneLiner Game over!]] ''[shuts the door]''\\

'''Adam''': DON'T! DON'T! [[BigNo NOOO!]] ''[more inchorent screaming]''

** In Season 7, Lord Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish gets exposed as the one who betrayed Ned Stark which kickstarted the War of the Five Kings. During the trial, he kneels down and begs Sansa Stark to spare him because he loves her. Sansa, who had been his pawn for most of the series, refuses and lets her sister, Arya, execute him.