History Main / IdieFree

* ''Film/Pompeii'': Atticus says this right before being consumed by the pyroclastic flow after defeating Proculus.

* Greed in the 2003 anime of ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'' is caught in a sealing array by the BigBad that would imprison him. He instead chooses to break free, at the cost of almost all the AppliedPhlebotinum keeping him alive, and kill himself through SuicideByCop rather than risk being hunted down by the BigBad and sealed again.

* In the Third Semester of ''VideoGame/Persona5'' ''[[UpdatedReRelease Royal]]'', [[spoiler:this is one of Goro Akechi's main motivations for joining forces once more with the Phantom Thieves to stop Dr. Maruki from permanently overriding reality, as despite knowing that the him in the real world is gone and that he'll disappear once Maruki is defeated, he'd rather be able to choose his path for once than be someone's puppet]].

* ''Film/DeadPoetsSociety'': After Neil had his moment to shine on the stage as Puck in a production of ''Theatre/AMidsummersNightDream'', even if it was for just one night, he tells himself, "I was good, I was really good", before he pulls the trigger rather than face being sent to boot camp.

* In ''Anime/CyberpunkEdgerunners'', [[spoiler:David]] outright rejects [[spoiler:Smasher's]] offer to become a construct and accepts his fate [[spoiler:knowing he kept Lucy safe]]. Given that engrams don't legally have rights, his decision ensured he wouldn't become Arasaka property.

*** At the conclusion of Shepard's investigation into the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Ardat-Yakshi]] monastery on Lessus, Rila manages to exert her free will long enough to tell the Reapers "I am NOT your slave," before [[TakingYouWithMe activating the detonator on a bomb large enough to destroy herself and all the Banshees in the monastery.]]

** [[VideoGame/MassEffect3 The third game]] takes it UpToEleven with many examples of this trope. Considering the [[MindRape nature]] of the invading [[CosmicHorror Reapers]], this is to be expected.

Compare BetterToDieThanBeKilled, DyingAsYourself, GiveMeLibertyOrGiveMeDeath (when one is willing to fight to the death for freedom), NeverGoingBackToPrison, ItHasBeenAnHonor. Contrast TheProblemWithFightingDeath, where a user of this trope may ''not'' die free after all.

--> "I am free...free as the wind!"

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', a pirate attempts to commit suicide by biting his tongue as an alternative to being sold as a slave for one of the [[AristocratsAreEvil World Nobles]].

* Creator/ArchieComics' ''ComicBook/MegaMan'' #49: Dr. Light rebuilt the Robot Masters from ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'', the same way he did the original set. Half of them [[note]]Quick Man, Heat Man, Metal Man, Crash Man, Magnet Man, Needle Man, Gemini Man and Top Man[[/note]] refuse to be reprogrammed, arguing they were too combat-specialized to do civilian work (some of them even took offense at the idea of being used for MundaneUtility, as they saw their combat-robot status as a badge of pride), and if they accepted reprogramming, [[MindReformatDeath it wouldn't be "them" anymore]]. Dr. Light tells them, point blank, that he was allowed to rebuild them on the condition that they could be re-purposed, and they'd have to be deactivated if that couldn't be done. Despite Rock/Mega Man's pleas for them to reconsider, [[DownerEnding they chose deactivation.]]

* In ''Series/StargateSG1'', this is the motto of the Jaffa rebellion ("Dal shakka mel", or, more commonly, "Shel kek nem ron" in Goa'uld). They'd rather die fighting the false gods rather than remain slaves. Later spoken by [[spoiler:Gerak, when he heals the SGC from the Ori plague, after becoming a Prior, knowing that a failsafe would kill him for it]].

** [[VideoGame/MassEffect3 The third game]] takes it UpToEleven with many expamples of this trope. Considering the [[MindRape nature]] of the invading [[CosmicHorror Reapers]], this is to be expected.
*** At the conclusion of Shepard's investigation into the [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Ardat-Yakshi]] monastery on Lessus, Rila manages to exert her free will long enough to tell the Reapers "I am NOT your slave" before [[TakingYouWithMe activating the detonator on a bomb large enough to destroy herself and all the Banshees in the monastery.]]

* Before entering his final battle in ''VideoGame/CrisisCore'', Zack utters: "The price of freedom sure is steep". It was that or be killed by the army.

* Creator/ArchieComics' ''ComicBook/MegaMan'' #49: Dr. Light rebuilt the Robot Masters from ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'', the same way he did the original set. Half of them [[note]]Quick Man, Heat Man, Metal Man, Crash Man, Magnet Man, Needle Man, Gemini Man and Top Man[[/note]] refuse to be reprogrammed, arguing they were too combat-specialized to do civilian work (some of them even took offense at the idea of being used for MundaneUtility, as they saw their combat-robot status as a badge of pride), and if they accepted reprogramming, [[MindReformatDeath it wouldn't be "them" anymore.]] Dr. Light tells them, point blank, that he was allowed to rebuild them on the condition that they could be re-purposed, and they'd have to be deactivated if that couldn't be done. Despite Rock/Mega Man's pleas for them to reconsider, [[DownerEnding they chose deactivation.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': Ghazan's last words are "I'm never going back to prison. If I'm going down today ''[[TakingYouWithMe you're coming with me]]!''". Then he uses his earth bending powers to cave in the mountain around him, with fatal results for himself, although Bolin and Mako survive and escape.

* Creator/ArchieComics' ''ComicBook/MegaMan'' #49: Dr. Light rebuilt the Robot Masters from ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'', the same way he did the original set. Half of them [[note]]Quick Man, Heat Man, Metal Man, Crash Man, Magnet Man, Needle Man, Gemini Man and Top Man[[/note]] refuse to be reprogrammed, arguing they were too combat-specialized to do civilian work (some of them even took offense at the idea of being used for MundaneUtility, as they saw their combat-robot status as a badge of pride), and if they accepted reprogramming, it wouldn't be "them" anymore. Dr. Light tells them, point blank, that he was allowed to rebuild them on the condition that they could be re-purposed, and they'd have to be deactivated if that couldn't be done. Despite Rock/Mega Man's pleas for them to reconsider, [[DownerEnding they chose deactivation.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'': Ghazan's last words are "I'm never going back to prison. If I'm going down today ''[[TakingYouWithMe you're coming with me]]!''". Then he caves in the mountain around him, with fatal results.

* In ''VideoGame/Persona5'' ''[[UpdatedRerelease Royal]]'', Akechi tells Joker that despite being brought back to life as a result of a LotusEaterMachine, he wants to carve his own path and accept the choice he made in their last meeting, and that he refuses to embrace a false reality while being under the control of someone else.

* Before entering his final battle in ''VideoGame/CrisisCoreFinalFantasyVII'', Zack utters: "The price of freedom sure is steep". It was that or be killed by the army.

* In ''Literature/{{Beloved}}'', Sethe, an escaped slave, was prepared to kill her four children and herself rather than let them be dragged back to slavery. (She only kills one, her oldest daughter, before she's stopped.) Given what she endured prior to escaping, it's not exactly surprising that she would think they'd be better off dead.