History Main / IDontWanttoDie

--> '''Blackadder''': How are you feeling, [[EmbarrassingMiddleName Darling]]?

-->''"I don't want to die... I want to see everyone again. One last time, I just want to see them...''
-->-- [[spoiler:'''Emil''']], ''{{Nier}}''

* ''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 (Dom DeLuise), 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 PaulWilliams).

* A {{vocaloids}} example, in Daughter of Yellow: Closure of Yellow, [[spoiler: Allen reveals that he actually didn't want to die, and confesses the fact that escaping with Riliane & Germaine might not have been a bad idea. Of course, he knew deep inside that in order for his sister's safety for the remainder of her life, SomeoneHastoDie]]

* Discussed and averted in ''The Magician'': After Ray shoots his friend in the back, he explains to Max that he took the contract himself because if someone else had taken it, "he would have known it was coming and he would have been pissing his pants and crying his eyes out."

* Played with (almost literally) in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' where Rukia calmly accepts her fate of execution. She faces the situation with grace and dignity, explaining that she feels her execution is justified and as such she does not wish to be (nor is worthy of) rescue. But when [[SmugSnake Ichimaru Gin]] briefly offers to call off the whole thing, telling her that he as a captain (unlike the other idiots running around making a mess) can truly save her, Rukia realizes how very much she wants to live and all her resolve crumbles. Then [[ManipulativeBastard Gin]] rescinds the offer. He was just dicking with her for kicks.

* Played with (almost literally) in ''{{Bleach}}'' where Rukia calmly accepts her fate of execution. She faces the situation with grace and dignity, explaining that she feels her execution is justified and as such she does not wish to be (nor is worthy of) rescue. But when [[SmugSnake Ichimaru Gin]] briefly offers to call off the whole thing, telling her that he as a captain (unlike the other idiots running around making a mess) can truly save her, Rukia realizes how very much she wants to live and all her resolve crumbles. Then [[ManipulativeBastard Gin]] rescinds the offer. He was just dicking with her for kicks.

* Played with in ''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.

** ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS4E17E18TheEndOfTime The End of Time]]'' has the Doctor have this reaction - stating "I don't want to go" - when regenerating into the Eleventh Doctor, earlier considering the transition as equivalent to death. (The concept of the series, however, forces this to be a slight aversion as the Doctor does not really die, but simply regenerates into a new persona.)
*** The Doctor views it this way though. When a Time Lord regenerates the only things that remain of his former self are his memories. The Time Lord has a different body, different mind. He is for all intents and purposes a completely different person upon regenerating. That sounds pretty death-like to me.

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* BlackAdder Goes Forth has a [[TearJerker heartbreaking one]] at the end of its run when basically the entire cast admits to this, even the idiotically optimistic George.

* In ''{{Nier}}'', Emil's final thoughts after saving his friends and before he dies is that he's scared of dying and wants to see them one more time.

* Class Zero, the young heroes of ''VideoGame/{{Final Fantasy Type-0}}'', 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, all twelve of them together.

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* Pengin from ''{{Katanagatari}}'', a [[ChildSoldier child]] {{ninja}}, is asked for his last words by the man who just shot him. Pengin cries that he doesn't want to die. His opponent calls him a pathetic coward and shoves the gun in his mouth.

* [[TheBible Jesus]], in Gethsemane, asks God if there was any [[TakeAThirdOption third option]] that would avoid His own death. [[ItWasHisSled There wasn't.]]

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** ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoNSS4E17E18TheEndOfTime The End of Time]]'' has the Doctor have this reaction again when regenerating into the Eleventh Doctor, earlier considering the transition as equivalent to death.

* Ryan Chappelle in the third season of ''[[TwentyFour 24]]''.

When the hero is forced to make a [[HeroicSacrifice great sacrifice for the greater good]], just before he does he suddenly realizes "Wait, IDontWantToDie". It might be a ChosenOne wondering why he specifically has to be the one to die and nobody else. This scenario is usually used to show a very human side of the hero and also making the scene more dramatic. It is characterized by very unheroic responses and actions where he loses bravery, resolve, consideration of the greater good and sometimes dignity. It is likely that the hero will have to have someone help them calm down if he doesn't end up doing so himself to FaceDeathWithDignity. There's also the possibility that this will end up being his DespairEventHorizon and might try to ScrewDestiny by running away. Attempts to TakeAThirdOption don't usually work out. Though there is a possibility of a DeusExMachina to save the day, this may or may not affect the impact of this scene.

There is also the chance that, if not done right, it could make the hero look like a DirtyCoward in an unsympathetic way.

* ''OnePiece'' pull of a CrowningMomentOfAwesome, [[HeartwarmingMoments Heartwarming]], and {{Tearjerker}}: In the Enies Lobby Arc, Nico Robin tried to sacrifice herself 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 make a HeroicSacrifice, she breaks down and asks them to save her.

* ''BusouRenkin'': Faced with the decision between stopping the villain, Victor, and saving himself [[spoiler:from BECOMING a "Victor", which is something like WalkingWasteland status]], Kazuki panics a bit. In a very human moment from WideEyedIdealist running on HotBlooded hero Kazuki.

** This is done ''much'' more tastefully in the live-action adaptation. While the manga {{Crosses the Line Twice}} with its morbid and [[DudeNotFunny grossly]] ironic depiction of Light's death, the live-action version has him instead say, "I can't die here!" Furthermore, his [[LastWords final words]] are not of his fear and unwillingness to die but rather an appeal to his father to understand his motivation for [[JusticeWillPrevail acting as Kira.]] Considering that the live-action films made him out to be a ''much'' more three-dimensional and sympathetic character with more reasons to back up his actions and given the fact that the artist reportedly admitted to feeling sick while drawing Light's death scene, this is hardly surprising.

* Pengin from ''{{Katanagatari}}'', a [[ChildSoldier child]] {{ninja}}, is asked for his last words by the man who just shot him. Pengin cries that he doesn't want to die. His opponent calls him a pathetic coward and shoves the gun in his mouth.
* Inversed in ''{{Berserk}}'' with the villain Wyald, whose motto is "Enjoyment and excitement!" and who claims that life is a waste, but ironically enough, he is terrified of dying. After he was killed off for good, [[ThisWasHisTrueForm it was revealed that his true form]] was a frail old man.

* ''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 (Dom {{DeLuise}}), 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 PaulWilliams).

* In ''{{Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows}}'', [[spoiler:when Harry learns that he is a Horcrux and must die if Voldemort is to be made vulnerable, he does not speak to Ron, Hermione, or Ginny as he heads to his death, because he knows that doing so might cause him to cave in and not go through with it.]]
* A varient in ''[[TheSagaOfDarrenShan Cirque de Freak]]''. Darren doesn't have to die, but he ''really'' doesn't [[TearJerker want to fake his own death to abandon his family]]. Unfortunately, he has to do so or else, as a half-vampire, he runs the risk of accidentally killing his family or friends. At one point he asks Mr. Crepsley if there's any way he can just run away in the middle of the night. He's told he can not, because his family would never stop looking for him.
* Mme Du Barry in ''Literature/TheWomanWithTheVelvetNecklace''. This is based on historical anecdote, telling that the woman's last lines before she was lowered before the guillotine were "Just one minute more, sir! One more minute!"

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-->Cordy: "I'm not - I know what I said earlier - But I don't want the visions anymore. I tried to be brave. I did. But I'm just scared now. I'm scared all the time. (Does her best not to cry) I mean look at me!

* BlackAdder Goes Forth has a [[TearJerker heartbreaking one]] at the end of its run when basically the entire cast admits to this, even the idiotically optimistic George.

--> '''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''': Well, quite.

* Desdemona in Shakespeare's ''{{Othello}}'' grovels when it's clear that Othello intends to kill her, as she begs "Kill me tomorrow, let me live tonight."

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* ''OnePiece'' pull of a CrowningMomentOfAwesome, {{Heartwarming}}, and {{Tearjerker}}: In the Enies Lobby Arc, Nico Robin tried to sacrifice herself 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 make a HeroicSacrifice, she breaks down and asks them to save her.