History Main / KillTheLights

* ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'': When the Warden is nearby, it inflicts the Darkness status effect on players, making it impossible to see more than a few blocks in front of you, regardless of how bright it is.

* ''TabletopGame/BeastThePrimordial'': the fittingly name Death of the Light Atavism allows a Beast to do this, shutting down all the lights in a given area.

* In ''Series/GetSmart," Hymie the robot (played by Creator/Richard Gautier) took orders literally. Once he was told to "kill the lights." Hymie obligingly took out his pistol and shot the overhead lights.

* ''VideoGame/Minecraft'': When the Warden is nearby, it inflicts the Darkness status effect on players, making it impossible to see more than a few blocks in front of you, regardless of how bright it is.

-->'''Commander Brennan:''' But surely history--and [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII recent history]] also shows us, Mansfield, that, wherever people have known the light, they don't tolerate the dark for very long. ''(lights come on again)''

* ''Film/{{Jaws}}''. During the shark's night time attack on the boat the power supply goes off, leaving the crew in darkness.

* At the end of ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'', [[DragonTheirFeet Tee Hee makes a final attempt to kill Bond and Solitaire]] on the train. He starts by fusing out the circuit breakers with his HookHand. Neither Bond nor Solitaire is alarmed, as they assume the other turned off the lights before the obligatory GladToBeAliveSex scene.

* At the end of ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'' [[DragonTheirFeet Tee Hee makes a final attempt to kill Bond and Solitaire]] on the train. He starts by fusing out the circuit breakers with his HookHand. Neither Bond nor Solitaire is alarmed, as they assume the other turned off the lights before the obligatory GladToBeAliveSex scene.

* ''Film/TheTerminator'' goes hunting for Sarah Connor through the precinct station when he notices the electrical closet. The Terminator switches off the power, plunging the building into darkness, a tactic to make it harder for Sarah to escape, and easier for the Terminator to massacre the police opposition.

** There's a scene in ''Film/TheChroniclesOfRiddick'' where Riddick is accosted by a group of necromongers, and he puts out two candles with the palms of his hands, plunging the room into darkness. Since Riddick can see in darkness just as easily as in light, he easily defeats the necromongers as they fumble around in the dark.

* The ultimate skill of the [[HornyDevils Succubus]] class in ''VideoGame/Disgaea2CursedMemories'' is called 'Nightmare', and it involves surrounding the enemy with darkness and launch an unseen beatdown.

* In ''ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal'', this is the Dawnbreaker's M.O., as his corrupted Green Lantern ring can promptly "blackout" his surroundings by swallowing all forms of light, including the light from other Lantern Rings. However, clever use of a Lantern Ring can subvert this effect, as shown by Hal Jordan.

** In ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' story ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfLuthor'', the titular villain uses a grenade darkness, which darkens several city blocks, to cover him and his gang up as they rob a bank.

* Takumi of ''Manga/InitialD'' will sometimes turn off his headlights in the middle of a race (which are always held at night) when overtaking his opponents. This serves to both prevent his opponents from blocking his approach and to freak them the hell out.

* [[TheBrute Younger Toguro]] does this as part of his transformation into 100% percent of his power in ''Manga/{{YuYuHakusho}}'' to highlight how powerfully his demon energy affects the environment. Kuwabara even lampshades the occurrence, being unable to see until the transformation is finished.
* [[TheDragon Kaname Tosen]] from ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' does this as part of his Bankai technique Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi which generates a dome that blackens out all light within it's confines as well as nullifies the senses of spiritual energy, sight, sound, and scent. Tosen fittingly calls this his Mumyō aka "No Light" technique.

* The ''ComicBook/GhostRider'' villain Blackout suppresses all light sources in his presence.
* In ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'', Shadow Lass can manipulate darkness and see in the dark, and so often blinds enemies with darkness. Night Girl can also see in the dark, and carries smoke bombs and devices that can shut off lights both to blind enemies and allow her to use her SuperStrength that only works in the dark.

* On multiple occasions in ''Film/{{Clue}}'', someone turns out the lights at Hill House to facilitate unseen murder.

* ''Film/BlindFury'', being essentially a western remake of ''Zatoichi'', also uses this trope. In the end, our BlindWeaponmaster hero cuts out the lights to fight the final villains in HollywoodDarkness, even whispering to one, "Welcome to my world!"

'''Watson:''' What do you mean "they cut the power"? How could they cut the power, man? They're animals!

* ''Literature/SilenceOfTheLambs'': When Clarice Starling is hunting Buffalo Bill in his house, he kills the power and leaves her in darkness. He then dons his NightVisionGoggles and TheHunterBecomesTheHunted.

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]
* ''Film/{{Aliens}}''. When the xenomorphs are preparing to attack, they cut the building's power supply.

* ''Film/{{Constantine}}''. When the horde of flying demons is approaching the title character and Angela Dodson, all nearby lights (including the street lights) go out, leaving the main characters in darkness.
* Inverted in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'': Batman whips out a new gadget in the form of the ability to turn off the lights. It works on some reporters' cameras, but utterly fails to give Bane pause, given that he grew up in an underground prison and can adapt to the dark just fine.
* ''Film/DocSavageTheManOfBronze''. The villainous Captain Seas invites Doc Savage and his Fabulous Five to dinner, only for his waiters to produce guns after the meal and press them to our heroes necks. Seas mockingly tells a member of the Five who's about to light up to enjoy OneLastSmoke, but it turns out his [[ShoePhone cigarette lighter has a laser gun]] that he uses to shoot out the chandelier, plunging the room into darkness so they can turn on their assassins.
* Happens twice in ''Film/TheFog1980'' (1980).

* In the film ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing'':

* ''Film/SilenceOfTheLambs''. When Clarice Starling is hunting Buffalo Bill in his house, he kills the power and leaves her in darkness. He then dons his NightVisionGoggles and TheHunterBecomesTheHunted.

* ''Film/BlindFury'', being essentially a western remake of Zatoichi, also uses this trope. In the end, our BlindWeaponmaster hero cuts out the lights to fight the final villains in HollywoodDarkness, even whispering to one, "Welcome to my world!"

* One of the preferred tactics of [[EnergyAbsorption Vince]] in the later years of ''Literature/{{Super Powereds}}'' is to draw in all the light of an area, stopping even night-vision while allowing himself some level of sight. Several times, he combines it with a [[BlindedByTheLight flash of light]] immediately after everyone has adjusted to the dark, making the light even more effective.

An event where a villain darkens a room (seemingly) at will, either by sucking the power from the lights, or just plainly and inexplicably making them go out, making things scarier. It's usually a device to raise suspense quickly, signaling the arrival or beginning of the danger, usually in the form of lights flickering off or the power getting cut. The lights may demonstrate SlowElectricity when they go out.

Also, it's notable that this isn't just used by villains. It's a popular trick for anyone who [[CombatPragmatist uses unconventional tactics]], including {{Terror Hero}}es and {{Guile Hero}}es.

* In ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan'', Spider-Man and White Tiger turned off the lights and used night-vision to get an advantage over Taskmaster. Taskmaster boasted that he could easily navigate the room with his PhotographicMemory, only to find that the two heroes moved everything in the room after turning off the lights.

* Happens twice in ''Film/TheFog'' (1980).

* In ''Film/{{Ultraviolet}}'', the final villain plunges the room into total darkness, explaining that he can see in the dark. Violet counters by [[FlamingSword lighting her sword on fire]].