History Main / InstantDeathBullet

* Legolas' arrows in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' films fit this trope since every shot he takes almost invariably results in the immediate death of whatever he happened to be aiming at.
** Boromir averts this trope since he was still alive -- temporarily -- even after taking three arrows to the torso.

* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' has a crossbow that fires red-hot pieces of rebar. Not only does it kill modified humans with one shot, it has a sniping scope and it often ''pins bodies to the wall''.

* HalfLife 2 has a crossbow that fires red-hot pieces of rebar. Not only does it kill modified humans with one shot, it has a sniping scope and it often ''pins bodies to the wall''.

* ''TheDeparted'': Played shockingly straight, even main and other important characters aren't safe from this - sometimes completely unexpected - end.

* In ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', Mal [[MercyKill shoots a man]] taken by the Reavers. In this case it's a good thing that the bullet killed him instantly, because he wouldn't want to be alive for what the Reavers [[FateWorseThanDeath would have done to him.]]

* Legolas' arrows in ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' films fit this trope since every shot he takes almost invariably results in the immediate death of whatever he happened to be aiming at. Boromir, of course, averts this trope since he was still alive -- temporarily -- even after taking three arrows to the torso.

* Pretty much the way every gun works in the JamesBond fan film ''[[FanWorks/DiamondsCut Diamond's Cut]]'', with the exception of [[spoiler: double-crossing informant]], who was wounded in the leg by Bond before finally getting shot to death.

* ''{{Taken}}'' features three kinds of shots: [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy bad guys miss], Bryan shoots a few people [[OnlyAFleshWound in the shoulder]] for interrogation purposes, and anyone Bryan wants dead dies instantly.

* A lot of {{Light Gun Game}}s apply this to enemies; enemies will often die even if they're just shot in the hand or the foot, so the only reason to aim at the body or [[[BoomHeadshot head]] is for extra points, assuming such bonuses exist. This is to keep the game [[RuleOfFun fun]] and at a reasonable difficulty. Generally, exceptions are {{Elite Mook}}s and bosses.

* A lot of {{Light Gun Game}}s apply this to enemies, in the interest of keeping the game [[RuleOfFun fun]] and at a reasonable difficulty. Generally, the exceptions are {{Elite Mook}}s and bosses.

* Plays a major part throughout ''OnceUponATimeInTheWest''. The slaughter of the [=McBain=] family plays out as this, as does the shootout at the railroad in the opening scene.
* ''PineappleExpress'': A humorous subversion in Red's case. The first time he's shot, he actually appears to die... Only to wake back up seemingly fine. They shoot him ''again'', and he appears to die again. It's only later in the movie that it's revealed he was still alive.
* ''ReservoirDogs'': Mr. White, Joe and Nice Guy Eddie play it straight after their MexicanStandoff takes a turn for the worse.

* ''TearsOfTheSun'' Subverted in a sequence where a soldier takes a sniper bullet through the shoulder and falls down. After a few tense seconds, it's revealed that he ''dropped'' down to avoid getting hit by another bullet.
* ''TheWorldIsNotEnough'': While mooks and bystanders die this way as a matter of course in the movie, a notable instance is when Bond shoots the alternate BigBad [[spoiler: Elektra]] in the face. She simply falls back onto a bed, dead.
* ''{{Witness}}'': When [=McFee=] is shot at point blank range in the chest with a shotgun, he appears to take only moments to die.
* Legolas' arrows in ''TheLordOfTheRings'' films fit this trope since every shot he takes almost invariably results in the immediate death of whatever he happened to be aiming at. Boromir, of course, averts this trope since he was still alive -- temporarily -- even after taking three arrows to the torso.

* Averted in [[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/109581/1/i-did-not-want-to-die/i-did-not-want-to-die I Did Not Want To Die]] by Kalash93, with heartbreaking results. The story follows a soldier who is shot near the beginning, and slowly bleeds to death over the course of the story in one hell of a massive tear jerker.

In works of fiction, guns behave in strange ways. Often, and especially in gritty action films and old-timey westerns, guns seem to fire not bullets but ''death itself''. {{Mook}}s, {{Hero}}s and {{Big Bad}}s alike can die instantly from a single bullet fired in their general direction, and the kill may even be [[BloodlessCarnage bereft of blood]]. In some works, this is employed slightly more realistically with bloody headshots, but are just as instantly deadly as their weakly aimed counterparts.

* Averted gruesomely in the new ''VideoGame/TombRaider2013''. Lara's first kill with a gun is during a struggle where she shoot her aggressor in the head at point-blank range (averting PrettyLittleHeadshots into the bargain) leaving him gurgling on the ground for almost half a minute before finally expiring. Lara is understandably freaked out about it.

In some works, this end is saved for Mooks and actual Villians, or Mooks alone, while a Hero gets the benefit of a long, painful [[DeathIsDramatic Dramatic Death]] complete with tears and sad music. Don't be surprised though, if an instant death bullet finds its way to the Hero's skull in the end just for shock value.

* ''Film/BloodDiamond'': Happens in copious amounts. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BstunZN_e7g When Danny Archer pretends to be a prisoner]] to trick some guards, he shoots both in quick succession and they drop down immediately. Later, when covering Vandy and his son's escape, Archer again kills several approaching mooks with a sniper rifle, to the same effect. But there are three exceptions: [[spoiler:Colonel Coetzee, Kapanay, and Danny.]]

* HigurashiNoNakuKoroNi is a horror series with a lot of scary scenes. The murders often have alot of suspense and buildup which strangely makes this trope absolutely terrifying. The best case of this is Minagoroshi-hen where the main cast are talking with [[spoiler: the murderer, Takano, and seconds after everyone is dead]].
** In the Anime [[spoiler:Keiichi's death]] takes quite a while, and he urges everyone to continue on before he expires. [[spoiler:Rena's and Mion's]] deaths are offscreen, and we don't know how much time passes before we're shown they're dead, and seem to have been hit in multiple places. [[spoiler:Shion and Satoko]] both take bullets directly to the head at point-blank range.
*** In the Manga on the other hand [[spoiler: Everyone dies directly after being shot]] and unlike the Anime, everything is ''onscreen''!

* While ''{{Preacher}}'' usually uses this straight, especially with the Saint of Killers, whose guns are forged from the sword of the former Angel of Death and can kill the Devil and [[spoiler:GOD himself]], there are at least two subversions. In the first, a hulking cannibal takes a head shot, continues advancing and takes a second before dying. In the second, Herr Starr gets his head blown open. He has time to glance up and utter a final "shit" before expiring.

** Kind of flip-flops, really. [[spoiler:Keiichi's death]] takes quite a while, and he urges everyone to continue on before he expires. [[spoiler:Rena's and Mion's]] deaths are offscreen, and we don't know how much time passes before we're shown they're dead, and seem to have been hit in multiple places. [[spoiler:Shion and Satoko]] both take bullets directly to the head at point-blank range.

* A few scripted sequence's in ''VideoGame/MaxPayne 3'' boost the damage dealt by Max so that one shot kills any enemy, regardless of where the bullet hits. This also happens in Last Man Standing, so that the player that take down the enemy that killed them faster.

* The sniper rifle or its equivalent often acts as an instant death weapon provided the player aims for the head. Sometimes aiming for the head isn't even necessary.

* The sniper rifle or its equivalent acts as an instant death weapon provided the player aims for the head. Sometimes aiming for the head isn't even necessary.

* Legolas' arrows in ''TheLordOfTheRings'' films fit this trope since every shot he takes results in the death of whatever he happened to be aiming at. Boromir, of course, averts this trope since he was still alive -- temporarily -- even after taking three arrows to the torso.

* Almost parodied in ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' in which several people are insta-killed by bullets in the opening sequence alone.

* ''BloodDiamond'': Happens in copious amounts. When Archer pretends to be a prisoner to trick some guards, he shoots both in quick succession and they drop down immediately. Later, when covering Vandy and his son's escape, Archer again kills several approaching mooks with a sniper rifle, to the same effect.