History Main / GoOutWithASmile

NOTICE: It is possible that simply reading through the examples will be a TearJerker for the reader. It is recommended for those that easily get emotional that a box of tissues be handy. And it should go without saying that, being a {{Death Trope|s}}, '''THERE WILL BE SPOILERS'''.

!!Examples:

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]

** In "Steven the Swordfighter", Pearl is faced with the AdultFear of having someone akin to a son watching as she gets brutally murdered in a method as graphic as a kid's show would allow. Despite being in obvious pain, she spends her final moments smiling and attempting to utter some reassuring words.

** In ''Gundam SEED C.E 73 Stargazer'', [[spoiler:[[WhatAnIdiot after ignoring orders to return and exhausting all his Gundam's energy]], Shams Couza smiles before he get shot to death by [[MechaMook DSSD Astrays]]]].

** Justitified later in Chapter 6, After Shuichi lets out a LONG hell-bent persuasion to the audience as revenge, he just stands there in silence with a smile. Even after Tsumugi abstained from voting in hopes of keeping the Killing Game going, Shuichi just still stands there with a smile and with his eyes closed, because he somehow has confidence in the literal impossibility he just pulled off. And miraculously, he DID. The audience also abstains from voting, ending Danganronpa for good.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie'', this happens to [[spoiler:[=SpongeBob=] and Patrick when they [[DisneyDeath dry out]], knowing that even though they didn't get Neptune's crown, they at least made it to Shell City]].

** Jusitified later in Chapter 6, After Shuichi lets out a LONG hell-bent persuasion to the audience as revenge, he just stands there in silence with a smile. Even after Tsumugi abstained from voting in hopes of keeping the Killing Game going, Shuichi just still stands there with a smile and with his eyes closed, because he somehow has confidence in the literal impossibility he just pulled off. And he just DID. The audience also abstains from voting, ending Danganronpa for good.

** Jusitified later in Chapter 6, After Shuichi lets out a [[BreakThembtytalking LONG hell-bent persuasion]] to the audience as revenge, he just stands there in silence with a smile. Even after Tsumugi abstained from voting in hopes of keeping the Killing Game going, Shuichi just still stands there with a smile and with his eyes closed, because he somehow has confidence in the literal impossibility he just pulled off. And he just DID. The audience also abstains from voting, ending Danganronpa for good.

*** Only a couple chapters/episodes later, when Buggy is about to lop off Monkey D. Luffy's head, he calls out to his crew with a gigantic smile on his face:[[note]]This was stopped by a lightning attack later revealed to have been caused by the leader of the Revolutionary Army and Luffy's father, Monkey D. Dragon.[[/note]]

* The [[FanNickname luvcats]] from ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'' are so naturally cheerful and full of love that they don't get any less happy even when [[EmotionEater the changelings]] invade their cute little village and start draining them. At one point a changeling commander remarks about "still having plenty of these guys left" while holding one of the leftover luvcats who, despite being essentially kept as a food reserve, still smiles joyfully. Even the luvcat that was apparently [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath murdered off-frame]] by Queen Chrysalis just kept sitting happily in his last seconds while holding a heart-shaped card that said: "Love conquers all".

-->'''Empire Magazine:''' There can't be too many gentlemen of a heterosexual persuasion who, if asked how they'd want to die, wouldn't tick the box marked "crushed to death between Famke Janssen's thighs".

* ''Film/GoldenEye'': When Bond finds the Canadian admiral, he's in rigor mortis with a huge smile thanks to Creator/FamkeJanssen's character's MurderousThighs. Overlaps with GoOutWithABang and WorthIt facial expression.

* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza 2}}: [[spoiler: As he lays dying from a gunshot wound to the stomach and shoulder, Ryuji asks his half-sister Kaoru to smile for him as it reminds him of his late mother. Kaoru complies, and Ryuji gives a smile of his own before he bleeds out]].

* In ''Film/BlackSwan'', Nina dies from an earlier self-inflicted stab wound, overjoyed that she finally gave a "perfect" performance. Whether or not she dies, however, [[BolivianArmyEnding is meant to be up to the viewer]].

* Surprisingly this happens twice in ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'' where the losing combatant does this just before they die, specifically [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist Edward Elric]] before being vaporised by [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar State Aang]] due to taking solace in the fact that the former was taller and [[Film/StarWars Yoda]] in [[FaceDeathWithDignity acceptance]] of his imminent demise before being hit with [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts King Mickey's]] Ultima.

NOTICE: It is highly likely that simply reading through the examples will be a TearJerker for the reader. It is recommended that a box of tissues be handy. And it should go without saying that, being a {{Death Trope|s}}, '''THERE WILL BE SPOILERS'''.

%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1549824268027801200
%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.

[[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/GirlGenius https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ggmain20061215.png]]]]

* ''[[Anime/TheIdolMaster THE iDOLM@STER]]'' - Parodied by Ami when she has to leave for an interview and left her sister to take care of finding out who stole the [[ItMakesSenseInContext pudding from the freezer.]]

** In chapter 614, [[spoiler:Neji]] smiles as he [[TakingTheBullet takes a fatal attack meant for Naruto]], in order to save Naruto and [[spoiler:his cousin Hinata]] (who had the same idea as [[spoiler:Neji]]) and thinks that he finally understands why [[spoiler:his father]] willingly sacrificed himself in the past.
%% ** In chapter 687, [[spoiler:Obito]] goes out with a smile.

** [[spoiler:The newly revealed addition to the 'Will of D', Trafalgar D. Water Law,]] gets a non-fatal one when Doflamingo, rather than killing him outright, [[SarcasmMode graciously offers to make his death worth something]] and offers to fulfill one last wish in exchange for [[spoiler:having the ultimate ability of Law's Op-Op fruit performed on him: immortality]]. He agrees, but only if Doflamingo brings Corazon back to life and licks the ass of every Dressrosan citizen he's wronged. He flips him off with a huge grin on his face, taunting him even ''further'', before finally being shot.

* In ''Anime/PrincessTutu'''s first-season finale, a ghostly form of [[spoiler:Edel]] smiles and requests a couple to dance together for her one last time, [[spoiler:even as ''her body is burning as a fire to warm someone back to life'']]. Ouch.

* ''Manga/SailorMoon'': At the end of season 1 of the anime, [[spoiler:Sailor Jupiter gives Moon a comforting smile as she dies]], telling her not to be sad.

* Ikuya Asano in ''Literature/TheTwelveKingdoms''. His childhood friend Youko visits his bier to confirm this after seeing a vision of it in her sword, having feared the smile was just her own wishful thinking. Youko is calmed by the sight, though Asano's smile is probably ironic- he spent the entire series [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife trying to find a purpose to play in the plot]], [[ShaggyDogStory only to die before completing the one important task he was given.]]

* In Season 7 episode 50 of ''Animation/HappyHeroes'', a close-up of [[spoiler:Kalo]]'s mouth shows he's clearly smiling as he says his goodbye and explodes to defeat an army of spaceships attemping to attack Planet Xing.

* ''ComicBook/TheSpirit'': In the story "Wild Rice", heiress Rice Wilder escaped the GildedCage of her family's wealth and joined a gang of bank robbers. When the Spirit offered to take her back home, she tried to make a run for it, only to get shot by one of the robbers, who thought she had squealed to the cops. As she died, she whispered "I'm finally free," and smiled.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird'' Harold dies, surrounded by his loved ones, with a smile on his face, confident Shrek will do what's best for Far Far Away.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheDeathOfSuperman'': [[spoiler:How Superman goes out]].
-->[[spoiler:'''Lois:''' You did it. You saved everyone.]]\\
[[spoiler:'''Superman:''' Good. It's all I ever wanted. Except for you. ''[smiles]'' What a lucky man I was...]]
* ''WesternAnimation/MaryAndMax'' ends with [[spoiler: Mary entering Max's apartment to find that he'd passed away that morning, staring at the ceiling with a contented smile. Turns out that he'd kept ''all'' of the letters she'd sent by laminating them and plastering them up there]].

* In ''Film/TheTallBlondManWithOneBlackShoe'', government intelligence high-up Bernard Milan gets shot along with a bunch of operatives - when he finds out the title character everyone was shooting each other over was [[spoiler:just a decoy set up by his long-time agency rival]], he manages to laugh about it as he's dying.

* ''Film/{{Tron}}'': When the dying Ram realizes that Flynn is a User, and there to help - thus validating the belief he was persecuted for by the MCP.

* In Wilfred Owen's poem, "S.I.W." (stands for "self-inflicted wound") a soldier kills himself to escape an [[WarIsHell incomprehensible hell]]. His comrades bury the gun with him, and all they tell his mother is that he died smiling - which is true.

* In ''Extremis'', Japanese powermonger [[BigBad Yamaoto]] smiles when he discovers that Literature/JohnRain is in his hospital room and about to kill him [[spoiler:because he's just sent assassins to kill his ex-girlfriend and their son, so he'll get revenge from beyond the grave.]]

* [[spoiler:Henrietta "Etta" Bishop]] in Season Five of ''Series/{{Fringe}}'' when Olivia tells her that she loves her.

%% ** Sir Leon tries in the season 3 finale, but [[spoiler:Morgana]] doesn't kill him and the other knights; she has innocent townspeople slaughtered, instead.

* Considering he's a flaming skeleton, you better believe Xan of ''VideoGame/DragonFable'' did this...but then he got better.

-->'''Ash:''' Sorry Betty. I'm out of ti-

** ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': Another variation is made with [[spoiler:Zelda. A variation in the fact that she doesn't die, but she locks herself in a crystal to fall into a deep sleep for thousands of years, to keep [[BigBad Demise]] at bay - which could be considered similar to death. After Link promises to wake her up, you can see her [[TearfulSmile tearfully smile]] behind the crystal just before she falls asleep.]] [[spoiler:She does, however, wake up later in the game]].

* The final stages of both ''VideoGame/OsuTatakaeOuendan'' games are both a world-threatening disaster - a meteorite in the first, and the Sun freezing over in the second. Unlike most continue screens in the game, which show the person you were helping on a PoseOfSupplication over their failure, the screens for these stages show the Ouendan cheerleaders smiling together, having failed to stop the world ending. To make it even more pronounced, in the first game the lighting on this screen creates the strong impression that this was the moment before they themselves were about to die.

** Papyrus, like Sans, is a [[DemBones perpetually grinning skeleton]], but his fixed grin does fit the tone of both ways he can be killed - on a Neutral run, he'll pipe that at least his head's still intact after the body the player cuts it off of disintegrates (his head, too, [[BlackComedy disintegrates right afterwards]]); and on a No Mercy run, he'll assure the player that he knows there's still good in them despite the situation.

** Mettaton does this if he's killed on any playthrough - he goes out with a bittersweet smile and a surprisingly graceful losing speech on a Neutral run, and he smirks through his pain to give either a last dry one-liner or a KirkSummation on a No Mercy run.

** A small one for Toriel--if you kill her during a Neutral run, she implores you to keep going and not let your SOUL be claimed by Asgore. She then dies with a small smile and a final MeaningfulEcho:

* In ''VisualNovel/RibbonOfGreen'', the Good ending has [[spoiler:Hanyuan fade away with a smile]]. Subverted as she is DeadAllAlong.
* In ''[[VisualNovel/FantasiaOtomeGameSeries Fantasia - Requiem of the Abyss]]'', Valen gives Shea one final smile as a LastRequest before the latter dies.

* Cruelly played with in one of the ''VisualNovel/SchoolDays'' bad endings. [[{{Yandere}} Kotonoha]] has an insane, lifeless smile on her lips when she [[DrivenToSuicide throws herself off a building]], after Makoto picks her love rival Sekai over her. They end up traumatised forever and split up after some time.
* ''Franchise/{{Danganronpa}}'':
** In [[VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc the first game]], [[spoiler:Sakura Ogami commits suicide to save her family's dojo by fulfilling Monokuma's order to kill someone, and to restore trust among the remaining students. So confident is she that this was the right choice that]] there's a smile on [[spoiler:her]] lips when the others discover the body. The pose is a direct ShoutOut to the ''Manga/TomorrowsJoe'' example above.
** [[spoiler:Junko Enoshima, or actually her body double, Mukuro Ikusaba]] has a confused and terrified smile when she realizes she's been impaled several times over by the mastermind, [[spoiler:the real Junko. Speaking of which, Junko herself is cheerfully [[CheshireCatGrin grinning from ear to ear]] while waving at the heroes right before being crushed by a giant block]].
** In the sequel, ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'', [[spoiler:Gundham Tanaka]] smiles [[spoiler:to his four hamsters as he lays dying following his execution]].
** From ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'', [[spoiler:Kaito Momota dies in the middle of his execution thanks to his illness. His body has a smile when we receive a glimpse of it, fulfilling his dream of visiting space and having saved Maki from dying herself.]]
* In ''VisualNovel/YuminaTheEthereal'', [[spoiler:Zieda dies like this]] - only in Kirara's route, though.

* Surprisingly this happens twice in ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'' where the losing combatant does this just before they die, specifically [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist Edward Elric]] before being vaporised by [[WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar State Aang]] due to taking solace in the fact that the former was taller and [[Film/StarWars Yoda]] in [[FaceDeathWithDignity acceptance]] of his imminent demise before being hit with [[VideoGame/KingdomHearts King Mickey's]] Ultima.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'':
** Lord Shojo dies smiling, when Miko Miyazaki {{Fall|enHero}}s as a result of fatally wounding him and he takes this as a sign that the gods approve of what he's done. He resisted resurrection in a later strip, indicating he was not too sorry to be dead.
** Miko dies with a smile in strip 464, on being told that Windstriker, her horse (and only friend) will visit her in the afterlife even though she has failed to redeem herself.
** [[spoiler:Therkla. [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0593.html Here.]]]]
** [[spoiler:Durkon, with a TearfulSmile. [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0877.html ...I get ta go home.]]]]
** [[spoiler:Durkon's father, [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1129.html as shown in a flashback]].]]

%% * ''Webcomic/GoodbyeChains'' has [[spoiler:Banquo]] do this.
* In Dave Kelly's ''Webcomic/LivingInGreyTown'', one of the characters dies with a big grin on his face. He later admits that it unintentionally looked really creepy.

* [[spoiler:[[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061215 Lars]]]] from ''Webcomic/GirlGenius''. Although she wasn't in love with him, Agatha did not [[HeroicBSOD take it]] [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge well.]]
* In ''Webcomic/GuildedAge'', when [[spoiler:Rachel saves Frigg from the cultists' monster at the cost of being caught by it herself, she]] smiles as it's about to kill her.
* [[spoiler:King Radical]] in ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'' starts with BigNo upon realizing he's about to die from a very creative double GrievousHarmWithABody ([[spoiler:first having Dracula thrown at him mouth-first to vampirize him, then Pope Francis as the ultimate holy weapon]]). But then his expression changes into a content smile, happy that he gets to die such a [[spoiler:radical]] death.

* ''Series/{{Noob}}'' is set in a {{M|assivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame}}MORPG and its finale includes a high-stakes battle between the three UltimateGamer386 characters. One of the two that lost and hence [[DeathIsCheap "died"]] [[spoiler:had never been beaten by another player before, had hinted to having a BlessedWithSuck view on this]] and reacted to the loss by having his avatar smile before it got destroyed.

* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'' in season 3 had [[spoiler:Sarah Lynn]]. After winning an Oscar and deciding to leave the fame to go to college and follow a childhood dream, [=BoJack=] takes them to the planetarium and cradles them until [[spoiler:she [[BigSleep dies in her sleep]]]]. Doubles as HopeSpot.

* ''WesternAnimation/IronManArmoredAdventures'': [[IJustWantToBeSpecial Arthur Parks]], the Living Laser, dies like this, pleased at his RedemptionEqualsDeath moment.
-->'''Living Laser:''' All my life, I was a nobody. [[FromNobodyToNightmare Then I get this power]], and I use it to try and hurt you... [[MisplacedRetribution The one guy who wanted to help me]]. \\
'''ComicBook/IronMan:''' But you saved me, Arthur. \\
'''Living Laser:''' Yeah... Imagine that. I'm the guy who saved Iron Man! ''(disintegrates)''

* [[spoiler:Antauri]] from ''WesternAnimation/SuperRobotMonkeyTeamHyperforceGo'' who sacrificed himself with the most adorable little smile so that [[spoiler:he could stop the Dark One Worm from destroying everything and everyone. Sure he came back two episodes later, but he didn't know he would at the time]].
* ''Franchise/AvatarTheLastAirbender'':
** The last we see of [[spoiler:Jet]] in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' is him smiling at the Gaang (mainly Katara) and assuring them that "I'll be fine." [[spoiler:He's lying.]]
** In the SequelSeries, ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', mixed with a SingleTear, [[spoiler:[[AlasPoorVillain there]]'s [[BigBad Amon]]]]. Subverted in that he loses the smile just before the end; it seems that the tragedy of the situation got even to him.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "Rapture's Delight" [[spoiler:Stan]] takes a shot meant for [[spoiler:Jesus]] and also sets off a time bomb meant to destroy the lair of the Anti-Christ. While he is offered the chance of being raptured to Heaven [[spoiler:Stan]] turns it down because the bomb will go off before [[spoiler:Jesus]] can perform the spell. After kissing Francine [[spoiler:Stan]] is left alone with a cigar and a grin just as the bomb goes off, promptly killing him.
%% * ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'', "Jack and the Lava Monster" - '''FREE'''.
* In ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'', before [[spoiler:Nabu]] died after sealing the Wizards of the Black Circle's chasm, he smiled at [[spoiler:Aisha]] while telling her that he would always be with her and that he loved her.

* In ''WesternAnimation/DarkwingDuck'', MadArtist Splatter Phoenix died when she was doused with turpentine, much like the monsters she created using paint did. (Apparently, she was the same.) Before she melted away, she said that at least her paintings would be appreciated and valued more when she was gone.
* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': [[spoiler:Brian]] does this in "Life of Brian", saying goodbye to the family before he succumbs to his injuries and dies.
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' has [[spoiler:Grunkle Stan]], who tricks the dream demon BigBad into going into his mind and then has said demon erased... along with all of his memories as collateral damage. As the metaphorical representation of his mind burns to nothing around him, he simply cradles a photo of his happy memories with a smile, happy that he did something worthwhile.
-->[[spoiler:'''Grunkle Stan:''']] Heh...guess I ''was'' good for something after all.
* Surprisingly a lot in the early episodes of ''WesternAnimation/MastersOfTheUniverseRevelation''
** [[spoiler:Orko himself]] after a lifetime of failures, gives his life into a HeroicSacrifice, smiling at [[spoiler:Evil-Lyn and telling her she]] was right at believing in him, because he died as the hero he wanted to be.
** [[spoiler:Roboto gives his life to reforge the Sword of Power]]. In his dying moments, he confesses he's gripped with fear, but he's actually happy at being so scared. Because his fear was the ultimate proof he needed of his humanity.

* Pauline from ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure'' dies this way, probably because she knows she will be able to be with her husband and son who were murdered sometime before.

* Inn ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainBlossomingTrail'', Just before [[spoiler:Alex Shepherd plunges himself and Henry Townshend into Toluca Lake, he smiles at Hop.]]
-->'''Alex:''' Goodbye Hop...''(smiling as a tear falls down his eye)'' Thank you.

** The King of the Pirates himself, Gol D. Roger, constantly seen in the series wearing a wide grin, smiles for the last time in his life (moments before he is executed) when announcing to the world that his greatest treasure, the One Piece, is for anyone who can find it.