History Main / HisNameIs

* ''Series/{{Castle}}'':

* Variation in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'' -- the Klingon conspirator on Rura Penthe has cornered Kirk and [=McCoy=] and is about to shoot them. Kirk asks him who is the mastermind behind TheConspiracy. The Klingon conspirator replies "[[JustBetweenYouAndMe As you're all going to die anyway, why not tell you?]] His name is..." and then the two of them are beamed away, much to Kirk's aggravation.
-->'''Kirk:''' Son of a-- Couldn't you have waited two seconds? They were just about to tell us the whole thing!\\

* ''Literature/{{Oathbringer}}'' (third book of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive''): The in-universe book ''The Way of Kings'' features a parable of a murdered man telling people that three men had worked together to kill him, but dying before he could say which of the four suspects was the innocent one. The parable is supposed to be about how to balance letting guilty parties go free versus punishing the one innocent man, but Taravangian points that it probably didn't actually happen since it's too neat and precise for real life.

* Lampshaded in, of all things, an issue of the classic Stan Lee-Steve Ditko ''Amazing Franchise/SpiderMan''. The Crime Master is mortally wounded in a gunfight and then declares that if he's going down, the Green Goblin will go down with him. He attempts to reveal the Goblin's secret identity (which was not known at the time). "The Goblin is..." and then he dies. The lampshading comes when one of the police officers at the scene comments "If I saw that happen in a mystery movie, I'd laugh at how corny it was."
* One day, Franchise/{{Batman}} discovers that his parents' killer, Joe Chill, is still alive and kicking and a rising gang leader, and after tormenting him for a while, reveals his SecretIdentity to Chill. Chill freaks out and goes and tells his mob (without revealing the name). His irate mob, realizing that Chill essentially ''created'' Batman, shoot him to the point of near-death. It's only then that they realize that they didn't know who exactly Batman was. Chill nearly is able to croak it out, but Batman barges in at that moment.

* Downplayed in ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman''. ComicBook/{{Steel}} captures a gang member and demands to know who built the [[{{BFG}} Toastmasters]] and he's able to give a name - White Rabbit. However, before he can clarify, the Rabbit herself [[BoomHeadshot blasts the gang member in the head]].

* Done in ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' to great effect. The first one is played pretty much straight (before the victim is shot with something to make him go insane) in ''Cigars of the Pharaoh'' and the second one is played straight in ''The Secret of the Unicorn'' [[spoiler:but is ultimately subverted as the victim recovers]].
* A variation in many old [[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]] stories, where, with danger looming, Billy Batson would have enough time to spout several sentences about how much trouble he's in and how only Captain Marvel can get him out of it, but not enough time to say "Shazam" after all the exposition is done. [[IdiotBall If he'd only said "Shazam" first...]]
** Billy is summoned by an old nurse, Sarah Primm, who gives him half of a broken charm on a necklace, tells him his long lost sister has the other half, and confides that she switched the little girl for a baby who died. So ComicBook/{{Mary|Marvel}} was raised by a rich lady named -- Aaaahh![[note]]Bromfield. The broken charm could be a ''mizpah'' coin as Bromfield is often a Jewish name.[[/note]]
* ''ComicBook/SensationComics'' #18: In the ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' feature intelligence officer Tommy West is interviewing an archeologist who claims to have information about an Imperial Japanese plot, and the archeologist gets shot just as he's about to name the collaborator.

* In ''ComicBook/TheFurtherAdventuresOfIndianaJones'' #24, Indy meets a shady contact in a dark alley on a rainy San Francisco night. The contact is still trying to negotiate a price when he topples forward with a knife in his back.
* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': In the possible future shown in #7 one of the policewomen is reporting to Diana and just as she's about to say the name of the killer is shot and killed herself.

-->'''Milchmann:''' ''[groans in pain]''
-->'''Charlie Bind:''' Sorry, say that again.
-->'''Milchmann:''' ''[groans the exact same way]''
-->'''Charlie Bind:''' ''(writes, then reads) [groans]'' Sounds like the Chinese are involved.
-->'''Milchmann:''' ''[frustrated]'' No, not that!

-->[[spoiler:'''Snape''']]: I'll show you what you need to do! [[LargeHam Watch... very... carefully!]] ''[drops dead]''
-->Malfoy: [[ComicallyMissingThePoint He didn't even do anything.]]

-->SCHNEIDER HERE. WE HAVE UNMASKED THE LEADER OF ENEMY FORTRESS!
-->IT'S UNBELIEVABLE, BUT THE ENEMY LEADER IS.........
-->ARRRGGHHH!!

-->"...and his or her name is-"

--> The killer...'s name will surprise you. The killer is...'''Stan'''! ''(dramatic chord)'' ...Francine, Hayley, everyone pay attention to what I'm about to say. This is Greg Corbin with my final report. The killer was... ''(a [[FallingChandelierOfDoom chandelier falls]] and kills Greg)''

--> '''Bender''': ''(Watching)'' Whoever's directing this is a master of suspense!

-->'''Witness:''' Well, [[ShaggyDogStory he just said "Ugh!" and died]].

Compare the AlmostDeadGuy, who gets hurt and ''then'' gives the information. SisterTrope of ConvenientlyInterruptedDocument. Subtrope of LostInTransmission. See also DyingClue. Absolutely no relation to MyNaymeIs, nor [[Wrestling/JohnCena a certain professional wrestler]].

* Happens constantly on ''Series/TwentyFour'', generally prompting Jack Bauer to scream "[[{{Catchphrase}} DAMMIT!]]"

* This happens in the videogame version of ''VideoGame/MissionImpossible1997'' when an informant dies in the middle of giving information, Ethan Hunt says "I just ''knew'' he wasn't going to finish that sentence..."

** Subverted with [[spoiler: Sabo, who was seemingly killed when the World Government obliterates the Kingdom of Lulusia just before he could divulge the identity of the true ruler of the world to the Revolutionary Army, but nevertheless managed to escape the ordeal and successfully reunited with his fellow Revolutionaries]].

** Subverted with [[spoiler: Sabo, who was seemingly killed when the World Government obliterates the Kingdom of Lulusia just before he could divulge the identity of the true ruler of the world to the Revolutionary Army, but nevertheless managed to successfully escape the ordeal and reunited with his fellow Revolutionaries]].

* In a long ''ComicStrip/BloomCounty'' arc, the strip gets a court order to hire a female cast member. Beer mascot Spuds [=McKenzie=], previously [[SamusIsAGirl revealed to be female]], informs Opus that a regular cast member is also secretly female. As Spuds is about to identify the culprit, he passes out. Opus turns to the viewer, and says "you and I both know she's not going to wake up until that statement has wreaked total pandemonium around here." (As it turns out, [[spoiler:it was Rosebud the Basselope.]])

* ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'': At the end of the chapter "Apprehension" Gordon makes it to the surface and is greeted by a guard who starts to relay a message to him, telling him to "make sure you don't--" before taking a bullet in the back and collapsing at his feet.

** ''VideoGame/HalfLife2: Episode 2'': Eli Vance starts to tell Gordon (and by extension the anxious player) about the mysterious G-Man, only to be interrupted before he can get to any of the juicy stuff. [[spoiler:He doesn't survive long enough to resume the conversation.]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', Link's uncle says, "Zelda is your...." then dies. Many speculated that the line would read "Zelda is your sister" or "Zelda is your destiny" but this is never brought up again later in the game. The GBA rerelease averts this trope by rewriting the dialogue to omit the line entirely, although a BonusBoss MasterOfIllusion takes Link's uncle's form and gives a similar line before attacking.

[[caption-width-right:252:[[Music/{{Eminem}} "Hi! My name is]]--HRRRK!" "What?!"]]]]

%% Image selected per IP thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1452266899092104700

[[quoteright:334:[[Webcomic/{{Toonhole}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/his_name_is.jpg]]]]

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' did this to an absurd extent in order to keep Shinji from learning [[spoiler:that his friend Touji is the pilot of the possessed Eva Unit-03 until after he'd nearly been killed.]]
* [[spoiler:South Burning]] in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam0083StardustMemory'', about halfway through the series, manages to get his hands on a briefcase detailing the enemy's forces and plans, taking some apparently minor hits to his [[HumongousMecha mobile suit]] in the process. As the heroes fly back to their ship, he opens the briefcase and starts reading through it, discovering the enemy plans are much more far-reaching than anyone imagined. Just as he starts to tell [[spoiler:his protege, Kou Uraki]] what he's discovered, [[spoiler:Burning]]'s mecha explodes. Which would've been far more shocking if the show didn't constantly cut to that seemingly minor damage throughout the second half of the episode.
** Said character got loads upon loads of {{Retirony}} in the first half of the episode, making the death even easier to see coming.
* In the first arc of ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'', ''Legend of the Golden Witch'', the protagonist Battler's father, Rudolf, tells his son and wife that there is something he needs to talk to both of them about later [[spoiler:something that is later heavily implied to be something related to Battler's birth]], and then indicates that he seems to know he might die. Which he does.
** In the second arc, Kanon is killed right as he's about to tell Jessica his real name.
* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', when Ed has defeated one of the AnimatedArmor guards at Lab 5, he convinces him to give him an explanation of at least some of what's going on...but then [[spoiler:Lust and Envy]] shut the guy up before he can tell Ed anything useful.
** Subverted with Martel in the 2003 version, who reveals to Alphose (while hiding inside him) [[spoiler: that Bradley is a Homonculus, a moment before the Fuhrer kills her.]]
** [[DisconnectedByDeath "The military...trouble!"]] [[spoiler:"...Hughes? Hughes... Hey! Hughes! HUGHES!"]]

* While not totally played straight, in ''Manga/CaseClosed'', during one of the mysteries, [[ButtMonkey Takagi]] is going to reveal the man who killed [[FairCop Detective]] [[ActionGirl Sato's]] father on his cell phone. As he's about to tell her the culprits name, a dark shadow appears behind him and slams a rock upon his head, instantly knocking him out as we later learn.
* Pretty much defines [[spoiler:[[KilledMidSentence Dorothea Ernst]]]] in ''Anime/CodeGeass''.

Frequently, the scene is stretched out by the informer [[AlmostDeadGuy being excessively verbose before being killed]] without getting to the important information. Sometimes this is because they insist on some reward from TheHero (such as protection from whomever they're informing on) or they're being a jerkass. When they are dying and goes on at length about how he doesn't have the strength left to provide the necessary information this trope is being PlayedForLaughs.

* The title comes from the pilot episode of ''Series/GetSmart''. The informant blurts out the villain's name right away and gloats that he escaped the death that always happens to the guy about to say the name. However, Smart forgets the name and asks the informant to repeat it. The informant isn't so lucky the second time.
** This scene definitely was in the episode 4.2 "Ironhand".
** Lampshaded in ''Get Smart Again'' where Smart tackles the informant to the ground when he is about to reveal the name, stating that "this is the part where they always get shot before telling us" (paraphrased, sorry). The informant still gets shot, and then before dying says that he didn't know who the traitor was because all contact with him was done through dead drops.
** PlayedForLaughs in episode 1.13 "Aboard the Orient Express." Agent Ernst is stabbed in the back while talking to Max. Max asks him the identity of his killer, and he responds painfully slowly "Don't think I'll live long enough to say... pity!", and dies.
** Max is on the receiving end in "Where-What-How-Who Am I?". He overhears the EvilPlan of some KAOS agents and is on the phone to the Chief when they burst into the room and try to kill him. Max survives but is injured and [[AmnesiaEpisode loses his memory]], so the Chief only knows that something is going down [[RaceAgainstTheClock at exactly 2.15pm.]]

[[folder:Machinima]]
* ''Machinima/FreemansMind'': Episode 34 takes a straight example from the original Half-Life and plays it for laughs.
-->'''Guard:''' Whatever you do, don't- (gets shot)\\
'''Freeman:''' Gah! Okay, 10-4! I'll make sure not to do that! Hmm... my intuition tells me that wasn't the full message. Something about him killing himself to make a point doesn't add up. That and the silenced gunshot tells me there's something devious going on here... Ah-HA!\\
(Freeman jumps around a corner and finds nothing)\\
'''Freeman:''' Hmm... I don't see anyone. Maybe the problem just went away. Maybe I willed it out of existence. Maybe it was the magical sniper fairy that comes and gives silenced hollow-point round to people who don't eat their vegetables.
* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' mocked this. After Captain Flowers was revived from death (eight hundred years in the future. [[BellisariosMaxim Don't think about it too hard]]), he's about to tell Tucker the secret to beating the Red Team but keeps delaying it until he's shot in the head.
-->'''Tucker:''' Hey, I could use some help.\\
'''Cpt. Flowers:''' You bet. And I have some information about the Reds that will guarantee our victory.\\
'''Tucker:''' You do?\\
'''Cpt. Flowers:''' I certainly do! Would you like to hear it?\\
'''Tucker:''' Yeah, I wanna hear it!\\
'''Cpt. Flowers:''' Great! Because I'm just about to tell you!\\
''[{{Beat}}]''\\
'''Tucker:''' Okay... Why aren't you telling me?\\
'''Cpt. Flowers:''' Good question. [[LampshadeHanging I seem to be dramatically pausing for some-]]\\
''[Flowers gets shot by an off-screen sniper]''\\
'''Cpt. Flowers:''' [[RunningGag Hrrg! Blah...]]\\
'''Tucker:''' Well, good riddance. I wasn't giving this armour back, anyway.
** Happens again when Caboose is distracting Sheila the Tank so the others can shut her down (they think the Omega AI is controlling her)
-->'''Sheila:''' I am not host to the Omega AI, however, I know who is.\\
'''Caboose:''' Really? Who?\\
'''Sheila:''' It is-\\
''[Sheila gets shut down]''\\
'''Shiela:''' Blllluuuuuurrrgh...\\
'''Caboose:''' Who is Bllllaaaaarrrrggggh?
* ''[[WebVideo/FreemansMindSpinoffs Shephard's Mind]]'' takes a serendipitous moment where a soldier gets shot in the middle of a stock line ([[NotWhatISignedOnFor "Government cover-ups were not in my job description!"]]) and [[ThrowItIn turns it into one of these]]: Shephard (whose voice is dubbed over the prerecorded gameplay footage) asks about the rumor that their mission is part of a government coverup, and his squadmate gets out the words "Government coverups w--" before going down.
[[/folder]]

* In ''Roleplay/TheGamersAlliance'', after defeating [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Dreadlord]] [[AxCrazy Leraje]], [[BaldOfAuthority Ismail]] momentarily glances at the wall where the sultan's posse is observing the duel and suddenly realizes who Leraje reminds him of and who thus fits perfectly into [[JerkassGods Nergal's]] prophecy of a traitor being in the [[TheAlliance Grand Alliance]]. This distracts him momentarily, which allows Leraje to regenerate and skewer him. Ismail, realizing he's done for, uses the last of his strength to try to tell the Alliance the identity of the traitor but is decapitated just before he can finish saying the name.
* Played for laughs in ''[[WebVideo/ImAMarvelAndImADC Rorschach and Deadpool]]''. The pair finds four different informants[[note]]As well as a pizza boy and a random passerby, hell, even Rorschach[[/note]], and Deadpool shoots every one of them as they finish saying the name of the trope. Purely because he finds their voices irritating.

* ''Machinima/ShepardsMind'' takes a serendipitous moment where a soldier gets shot in the middle of a stock line ([[NotWhatISignedOnFor "Government cover-ups were not in my job description!"]]) and [[ThrowItIn turns it into one of these]]: Shephard (whose voice is dubbed over the prerecorded gameplay footage) asks about the rumor that their mission is part of a government coverup, and his squadmate gets out the words "Government coverups w--" before going down.

The informer, about to give TheHero a key piece of information, [[KilledMidSentence is killed before he can tell]] who [[SelfDemonstratingArticle th-]]

Frequently, the scene is stretched out by the informer [[AlmostDeadGuy being excessively verbose before being killed]] without getting to the important information. Sometimes this is because they insist on some reward from TheHero (such as protection from whomever they're informing on) or they're being a jerkass. When he's dying and goes on at length about how he doesn't have the strength left to provide the necessary information this trope is being PlayedForLaughs.