History Main / InstantDeathStab

Although death can come in short order after being stabbed or slashed with a bladed weapon in real life, depending on where the wound is and how deep it is, this generally is not TruthInTelevision, unless it's a stab to the back of the head targeting the brainstem, in which case the brain most likely shuts down instantly once it's been severed from the rest of the body. Stabbing generally causes severe blood loss: the main purpose of blood is to carry oxygen throughout the body, so if it's flowing out of someone, it's not going to their organs, resulting in oxygen deprivation which can be fatal if the bleeding is not stopped quickly. But even then, one can remain conscious for several seconds while bleeding out, and it'll take a few more minutes after that for death to come. As many accounts of fatal accidents involving cutting or stabbing have shown, death by exsanguination - the loss of critical amounts of blood - is often ''excruciatingly'' painful and drawn out, with the victim initially being able to stay on their feet, only to quickly become delirious as hypovolemic shock sets in. They may fall to the ground and writhe about in agony, crying out for help until they finally pass out, and death usually comes not long after that. As such, if you're ever in a situation where you have been stabbed, it is crucial that you seek assistance immediately, and - whatever you do - ''[[LodgedBladeRemoval if it's stuck in you, never pull the blade out!]]''[[note]]Often, if a blade or other sharp implement or object has penetrated the body and is still lodged in place, it may be holding back blood flow that would otherwise gush straight out if the object was removed. removing the blade outside of a medical setting can mean certain death, as all that blood now has one easy way to escape the body.[[/note]]

Although death can come in short order after being stabbed or slashed with a bladed weapon in real life, depending on where the wound is and how deep it is, this generally is not TruthInTelevision, unless it's a stab to the back of the head, in which case the brain most likely shuts down instantly once it's been severed from the rest of the body. Stabbing generally causes severe blood loss: the main purpose of blood is to carry oxygen throughout the body, so if it's flowing out of someone, it's not going to their organs, resulting in oxygen deprivation which can be fatal if the bleeding is not stopped quickly. But even then, one can remain conscious for several seconds while bleeding out, and it'll take a few more minutes after that for death to come.

Although death can come in short order after being stabbed or slashed with a bladed weapon in real life, depending on where the wound is and how deep it is, this generally is not TruthInTelevision. Stabbing generally causes severe blood loss: the main purpose of blood is to carry oxygen throughout the body, so if it's flowing out of someone, it's not going to their organs, resulting in oxygen deprivation which can be fatal if the bleeding is not stopped quickly. But even then, one can remain conscious for several seconds while bleeding out, and it'll take a few more minutes after that for death to come.

* ''Literature/TheBookOfMormon'': Teancum assassinates the sleeping king of the Lamanites with a javelin straight to the heart, killing him so quickly that he doesn't have a chance to wake anyone else up. Later subverted when Teancum tries the same thing on the king's successor, but is angry enough that he ''throws'' the javelin; it's a mortal wound, but not instantaneous, allowing the king to wake his guards to retaliate.

* ''Film/ThePhantomOfTheOpera1998'': After taking six shots and one stab, a final bayonet strike from behind is what ultimately kills the Phantom.

* ''Film/PhantomOfTheOpera1998'': After taking six shots and one stab, a final bayonet strike from behind is what ultimately kills the Phantom.

** Adam, who has ResurrectiveImmortality, also evades the police by [[SlashedThroat cutting his own throat]], which is shown as causing him to die and vanish instantaneously. He also [[spoiler: does a twisted version of MercyKill on the protagonist, Henry, when he's suffered a broken back and is in danger of dying in front of his partner and thus revealing his own immortality; Adam [[KilledToUpholdTheMasquerade cuts his throat]], again causing him to vanish and reappear in the East River instantaneously.]]

* ''Series/Forever2014'' has a scene where [[BigBad Adam]] kills a cabbie by thrusting a sword through the back of his seat and straight through his chest, impaling the heart and emerging through his sternum. He barely has a chance to look a little surprised, and is dead before the sword is withdrawn.

* Justified in ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' and ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners''. Being stabbed usually isn't fatal in that series... unless someone bearing the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception stabs you in your point of death. If that happens, [[NoSavingThrow you die. No matter what, you die]]. ''Period.'' At best, you can hold on for about thirty seconds if you've lived for a really long time before the point of death was hit, but that's about it.

* In ''VideoGame/MudAndBlood 2'', the Brandenburg infiltrator has a tendency to kill soldiers they engage in CQC instantly by stabbing them with a dagger.
* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': While the Spy's knives are weak when used from the front, they can instantly kill any class in the game if he [[BackStab strikes them from behind]]. Unlike some other examples, the target does scream loudly while dying, which can alert their teammates to what just happened, unless the Spy is wielding Your Eternal Reward, which makes the kill silent (as well as making the body quickly turn invisible, and [[KillAndReplace causing the Spy to immediately disguise himself as his victim]]).

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' had a blade that the Gray Warden would pull out to kill characters in cutscenes. One stab and the target dropped dead.
* Early in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' you're trapped in a prison and need to escape. If you manage to sneak up on the guards your kill them instantly and silently without a fight and get a Mid-Tonic for the effort.

Although death can come in short order after being stabbed or slashed with a bladed weapon in real life, depending on where the wound is and how deep it is, this generally is not TruthInTelevision.

* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'': [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] regarding the Spy's various knives, which do pitiful damage from the front, but can instantly kill any class in the game if he strikes them from behind.

Death by bladed weapon is frequently portrayed as being more instantaneous than it is in real life. Whether it's a throwing knife flying into someone's head, someone literally being stabbed InTheBack, or a SlashedThroat, the victim will probably die immediately. In the midst of combat, a single slash from the hero is enough to make enemy {{mook}}s drop ''instantly'' dead, [[ArmorIsUseless regardless of any armor they may be wearing]]. No one is ever shown to sustain more than a single blow, attempt to limp or crawl away, or writhe in pain on the ground. When the StealthExpert stabs someone or throws a knife at them, the victim may not even be able to scream before dropping dead, with their friend standing just a few meters away not noticing the murder that's happening right behind them.

Death by bladed weapon is frequently portrayed as being more instantaneous than it is in real life. Whether it's a knife flying into someone's head, someone literally being stabbed InTheBack, or a SlashedThroat, the victim will probably die immediately. In the midst of combat, a single slash from the hero is enough to make enemy mooks drop ''instantly'' dead, [[ArmorIsUseless regardless of any armor they may be wearing.]] No one is ever shown to sustain more than a single blow, attempt to limp or crawl away, or writhe in pain on the ground. When the StealthExpert stabs someone or throws a knife at them, the victim may not even be able to scream before dropping dead, with their friend standing just a few meters away not noticing the murder that's happening right behind them.