History Main / HesitantSacrifice

* ''Manga/OnePiece'' pulls off a CrowningMomentOfAwesome, [[HeartwarmingMoments Heartwarming]], and {{Tearjerker}}: In the Enies Lobby Arc, Nico Robin tried to give herself up to keep her crewmates from being arrested (and later executed) alongside her. But later, when they risk their lives just to get within shouting distance of her and ask if she really wants to go through with her HeroicSacrifice, she breaks down and begs them to save her.

This scenario is often used to show a somewhat flawed, human side to the hero, and also to make the scene more dramatic. It is characterized by very unheroic responses and actions wherein they lose bravery, resolve, consideration of the greater good and, sometimes, dignity. It is likely that the hero will need someone to help them calm down if they don't end up doing so themselves and FaceDeathWithDignity. There's also the possibility that this will be their DespairEventHorizon and might lead them to try and ScrewDestiny by running away. Attempts to TakeAThirdOption don't usually work out. Although there is the possibility of a DeusExMachina to save the day, this may or may not affect the impact of the scene.

* At the end of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' [[spoiler:TheBadGuyWins and kills off half the universe with a BadassFingersnap. Tony Stark is ForcedToWatch sixteen year-old Peter Parker dying in his arms while nanomachines futilely try to stop Parker's body turning to ash, all the while pleading that he doesn't want to die.]]

* [[spoiler:Steve Trevor's]] death in ''Film/WonderWoman2017''. Conveyed entirely through facial expressions in a major HeReallyCanAct moment for [[spoiler:Chris Pine]]; he clearly has to psych himself up to actually pull the trigger and blow up [[spoiler:the plane]], but he ultimately manages it.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "Tuvix", a TeleporterAccident causes Tuvok and Neelix to become a [[FusionDance single person]]. Eventually the Doctor works out how to reverse the accident. The problem is that Tuvix regards himself as a separate person with as much right to exist as anyone else. In one of Captain Janeway's most controversial decisions, she orders Tuvix taken to Sickbay by force, stating that Neelix and Tuvok have a right to exist as well.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. In "Tuvix", a TransporterAccident causes Tuvok and Neelix to become a single person. Eventually the crew works out how to reverse the accident. The problem is that Tuvix regards himself as a separate person with as much right to exist as anyone else. In one of Captain Janeway's most controversial decisions, she orders Tuvix taken to Sickbay by force, stating that Neelix and Tuvok have a right to exist as well.

!! '''Examples''':

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Comicbooks]]
* Comes up repeatedly in ''[[Comicbook/MarvelStarWars World of Fire]]''. Outnumbered and performing a DelayingAction, Leia realizes it's unlikely that she'll make it halfway to safety and thinks "So who said I wanted to live forever? - I did." Later, [[WrenchWench Mici]] is injured and has to be left behind in the ship while the others continue the mission. She knows how badly she's hurt. "I'm afraid that while you're gone I'll die here, in the dark - [[DyingAlone alone]]. Oh, Luke, I don't want to die!"

[[folder:Fanfictions]]
* Massive tear jerker in [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/109581/1/i-did-not-want-to-die/ I Did Not Want To Die]].

-->'''Gudao:''' Doctor...! No! N-Not you too...! Stay...! S-s-stay and see for your-s-self!
-->'''Roman:''' [[TearJerker ...I want to. I really do...]]

[[folder:Film - Animated]]

[[folder:Film - Live Action]]

-->'''Paul:''' That bloke with Scott - I always admired how he went out into the snow for his mates.

-->'''George''': But this is brave, splendid and noble... sir?\\
'''Blackadder''': Yes, lieutenant?\\
'''George''': I'm scared, sir.\\
'''Baldrick''': I'm scared too, sir.\\
'''George''': I mean, I'm the [[LastOfHisKind last of the tiddly-winking leapfroggers from the Golden Summer of 1914]]. I don't want to die, I'm not overly keen on dying at all, sir.\\
'''Blackadder''': How are you feeling, [[UnfortunateNames Darling]]?\\
'''Darling''': Er- not all that good, Blackadder. Rather hoped I'd get through the whole show...go back to work at Pratt and Sons, keep wicket for the Croydon Gentlemen, [[{{Retirony}} marry Doris]]. Made a note in my diary on the way here. Simply says: "[[FacingTheBulletsOneLiner Bugger]]".\\
'''Blackadder''': Well, quite.

-->But what is this, that I can't see, with ice cold hands taking hold of me?
-->When God is gone and the Devil takes hold who will have, who will have mercy on your soul?
-->O'Death, O'Death, consider my age, please don't take me at this stage.

[[folder:Religion]]
* [[Literature/TheBible Jesus]], in Gethsemane, asks God if there is any [[TakeAThirdOption third option]] that would avoid His own death. [[ItWasHisSled There isn't even a]] ''[[YouCantFightFate second option.]]'' He's so terrified at prospect of death and the pains of crucifixion that he starts ''sweating blood''.
--> ''Eli eli, lama sabachthani?''[[note]]"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"[[/note]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Videogames]]
* ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'': In the Normal Ending of the Heaven's Feel route, Shirou's mind is already dead when he goes to destroy the HolyGrail. His last thoughts were about how he doesn't want to do this and how he wants to live, even if only for one more day. The True Ending has him dwell on these feelings before destroying the Grail long enough for [[spoiler:Ilya to arrive and perform the HeroicSacrifice instead]].
* In ''VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia'', this is done by none other than [[spoiler:Avenger, [[GodOfEvil the spirit of Angra Mainyu]] himself]]! As he prepares to end the [[spoiler:[[GroundhogDayLoop the four-day time-loop]]]] the entire cast has been trapped in throughout the story, a part of him really wants to [[spoiler:just let the loops keep going so he can keep playing the part of [[DemonicPossession Shirou Emiya]], because without them he'll [[CessationOfExistence cease to exist]]]]. However, even though he acknowledges this, he still chooses to go through with it, [[spoiler:because he knows it's meaningless and his Master Bazett needs to move on]]. The fact that he inherited some traits from [[spoiler:Shirou]] helped him with this.

--> '''Kuo:''' You made the right choice... hell, [[AxCrazy Nix]] even made the right choice. I was... I ''am'' scared.
--> '''Cole:''' [[spoiler: I am too.]]

-->'''Valkyrie''': "Human. Surely you do not intend to take her place?"
-->'''Nanami''': "I really don't want to...I don't want to die. But...I thought my anger and sadness were greater than anyone else's..."

* ''VisualNovel/LittleBusters'': While the others face their death with acceptance and dignity, [[spoiler:when Riki starts yelling in earnest how much he cares about him, Kyousuke breaks down sobbing and admits that he's saddest of all because he dearly loved Riki and Rin as well and can't stand that he'll never be able to see them again.]] In this case, the declaration actually humanises him by showing how much he truly cares for his friends.

* The major premise of ''VisualNovel/ShallWeDateDestinyNinja2'' is that [[ApocalypseMaiden the heroine]] must be killed by her true love before her twentieth birthday, or her entire homeland will be destroyed. In the good endings, [[ScrewDestiny she is able to]] TakeAThirdOption.

[[folder:Webcomics]]
* In ''Webcomic/DocRat'', they suggest getting rid of the computer that the now-fired practice manager brought. It begs and pleads.
-->'''Computer''': ''I BEG OF YOU! I DON'T WANT TO DIE! OH GOD PLEASE I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!''

[[folder:WebOriginal]]
* Noah of ''WebVideo/TribeTwelve'' admits this during the ''November 11th Livestream Incident'' video when, after weeks of asserting that he doesn't care anymore if he lives or dies, he breaks down in tears and asserts his desire to live shortly before the deadline that the Observer had set for killing him.

* [[Literature/TheBible Jesus]], in Gethsemane, asks God if there is any [[TakeAThirdOption third option]] that would avoid His own death. [[ItWasHisSled There isn't even a]] ''[[YouCantFightFate second option.]]''

* An important part of the backstory for a lot of the ''Franchise/FatalFrame'' games. A big reason why the HumanSacrifice needed to keep back the evil fails is because the sacrifice (or sacrifices) find a reason to live, usually because they [[LoveHurts fall in love]]. And then it [[FromBadToWorse gets worse]].

* "Gethsemane" from JesusChristSuperstar is the musical version of the Biblical scene below. Going further than in the Bible, Jesus demands to know what good his death will do. At the end of the song, depending on the production, he is somewhere between recommitted to the cause and sullenly resigned to his fate.

** In ''VisualNovel/FateHollowAtaraxia'', this is done by none other than [[spoiler:Avenger, [[GodOfEvil the spirit of Angra Mainyu]] himself]]! As he prepares to end the [[spoiler:[[GroundhogDayLoop the four-day time-loop]]]] the entire cast has been trapped in throughout the story, a part of him really wants to [[spoiler:just let the loops keep going so he can keep playing the part of [[DemonicPossession Shirou Emiya]], because without them he'll [[CessationOfExistence cease to exist]]]]. However, even though he acknowledges this, he still chooses to go through with it, [[spoiler:because he knows it's meaningless and his Master Bazett needs to move on]]. The fact that he inherited some traits from [[spoiler:Shirou]] helped him with this.

* Uttered verbatim by a plague victim in IngmarBergman's ''Film/TheSeventhSeal''. It's not really a sacrifice in that the plague is not targeting him personally: almost everybody in the town is slowly succumbing to the epidemic, and he just happens to be one of the first. His outburst forces ''all'' the characters to have to reflect upon their collective mortality, and even to [[CessationOfExistence wonder if there's anything to look forward to after they go through with their deaths]]. The fact that for much of the movie both the characters and the audience can't even ''see'' the plague (which does appear in a personified form occasionally) [[NothingIsScarier makes it infinitely worse]]. One of the heroes finally snaps and [[RageAgainstTheHeavens shouts up to God, demanding to know why this has to happen and whether God is listening or even really cares]]. In the end, [[spoiler: all of these characters ''do'' die, except for one family who take a darkly casual attitude toward their narrow escape]].

* Played with in ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss''. At one part of the game, it's determined that either Luke or Asch needs to be sacrificed to destroy the miasma that's enveloping the world. [[HeroicSacrifice Luke decides to go himself]], as Asch has stronger abilities and will therefore have a better chance of succeeding at releasing Lorelei later on, which is crucial to saving the world from the BigBad's plans. As they reach the point of no return in the sacrifice and Luke starts to feel his body disintegrating, though, he realizes that he wants to live after all. Fortunately for him, Asch jumps to help him, and they both survive. [[ShootTheShaggyDog Unfortunately for them both]], Asch was slowly dying anyway due to fonon interference related to their being perfect isofons, and the incident has greatly shortened both of their lifespans.

* Class Zero, the young heroes of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyType0'', have been preparing to sacrifice their lives for the war effort since childhood. But when the time comes and they're slowly succumbing to their wounds, they realise that not only is dying painful and scary, but being {{child soldiers}} they've also never had a chance to truly live. Most of them break down in tears and confess they never wanted to die at this point... but they do, [[TearJerker all twelve of them together]].

* ''MaxPayne2'': "If Mona didn't find a window soon, I was going to die. For the first time in a long time, I realised I didn't want to die."

* Even being told he will turn into a living bioweapon in half of his expected life expectancy of six months and after an entire game of coming just short of actually putting a pistol in his mouth in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4'' to getting himself killed, Snake can't do it. His clone father Big Boss is actually impressed and gives him a reason to live and tells him that he will not turn viral.

* [[spoiler: Wolfwood]] in the ''{{Trigun}}'' anime is on the verge of GoOutWithASmile when it suddenly occurs to him he wants to stay with his friends. For a brief moment he reacts as he always had in life, [[RageAgainstTheHeavens screaming about how unfair it was]] and finally breaks down as he accepts that his entire life he had followed the wrong path.

* [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV Final Fantasy XV]]'s Noctis doesn't falter when the time comes to [[MessianicArchetype give his life to save the world]], but he trembles violently at the idea of even wearing the ring that represents his fate for much of the game, looks horrified when informed of the nature of his sacrifice, and weeps openly when he tells his friends that he's going to die. In the end, his father Regis is the hesitant one; Regis' ghost refuses to look at his dying son until Noctis begs for his trust and [[OffingTheOffspring passes him the sword that will end his life]].

* Played with midway through Disney's version of ''PeterPan'', when Princess Tiger Lily is threatened with drowning by Captain Hook if she will not tell him where Peter's hideout is (which is even worse than it as first sounds, because, as Hook notes, in Tiger Lily's tribe's religion, [[TheNothingAfterDeath Indians who drown stay under water forever and never make it to "The Happy Hunting Grounds"]]). Tiger Lily is completely silent and doesn't even look at Hook, and seems totally indifferent even as Mr. Smee is setting her down in the middle of the Skull Rock lagoon so that the tide will eventually wash over her. But right after Peter Pan has defeated Captain Hook (at least for a time), the princess seems to reconsider her decision and begins crying out for help - but by that point she's already drowning, and the seawater is muffling her screams. Peter pulls her from the water just in time and flies her back to the Indian camp.

* ''The End'', a 1978 comedy about a terminally ill man named Sonny (Burt Reynolds) who intends to take his own life rather than die of the rare toxic blood disease he has been diagnosed with. After a number of (comically?) failed attempts, and encounters with people -- an inexperienced priest, his self-absorbed parents, his estranged daughter and ex-wife, and his girlfriend -- who don't seem to care (at least in his view), Sonny drives to a secluded beach and swims out to the middle of the ocean, planning to drown himself. While under water, his life flashes before his eyes and he finally realizes his purpose in life. He suddenly resurfaces and swims to shore, bargaining with God that, if he makes it to shore, he'll be a better man. Indeed, Sonny does make it to shore ... but only to discover that his "friend" Marlon (Creator/DomDeLuise), a psychopath whom had helped him with his previous attempts to take his life, is waiting for him and intends to follow through with his promise to help him die. Sonny tries to reason with Marlon that he wants to live ... and seems to have succeeded when, as the two are walking to the road to go home, Marlon pulls out a large butcher knife. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" screams Sonny as he flees (the knife-wielding Marlon in pursuit) down the beach under the final credits ("Another Fine Mess" by Music/PaulWilliams).