History Main / LosingIsWorseThanDeath

** Taken UpToEleven with Coach Kilmer, [[VillainWithGoodPublicity who is beloved by the town]] but would coerce any of his injured ''high-school'' players into [[spoiler:taking morphine and getting back into play rather than benching them due to the injury]]. This even sets off the events of the story, as the star quarterback's [[spoiler:knee was nothing but scar-tissue by the time he was actually taken to a hospital for treatment]].

* ''Anime/DragonballZ''

* Komugi of ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' is the undefeated ace of an InUniverse board game, gungi. She's brought before the Chimera Ant King in order for him to challenge her and defeat her at her own game, something he had been doing to various game masters, after which he killed them all. Komugi is unaware of this last detail, but it's rendered irrelevant as she tells the King that she places ''every'' game of gungi as if it were a life or death situation, and intends to kill herself should she lose even ''once''.

The characters consider losing a match to be dishonorable to the point where they'd rather die than lose. Often a byproduct of HonorBeforeReason, or the explanation a SpiritedCompetitor uses because games are SeriousBusiness. Far more than just a SoreLoser, this person has tied up their whole identity and validation of their existence in being a winner.

Compared and contrast, but do not confuse, with SecondPlaceIsForLosers. In that trope, the person who finishes second feels crummy and is probably also a SoreLoser, but it doesn't have personal or plot-related ramifications for them beyond not winning. See also PostGameRetaliation.

The characters consider losing a match to be dishonorable to the point where they'd rather die than lose. Often a byproduct of HonorBeforeReason, or the explanation a SpiritedCompetitor uses because games are SeriousBusiness.

Despite appearences this trope is ''not'' simply SecondPlaceIsForLosers taken UpToEleven:
* SPIFL refers to cases when, for instance, the one who comes in second feels crummier than the one who finished third because the second-place guy was so close to finishing first. LIWTD applies where anything other than first is unacceptable (admittedly, if it's a head-to-head matchup with only one non-winner, the only way to not win is to finish second).
* SPIFL occurs ''after'' the contest in question is run, while LIWTD usually shows up ''before'' it (whether before the end of the contest or even before it starts). Consequently, SPIFL tends to stand on its own in the story ("I finished second - this sucks"); LIWTD tends to spur further actions ("I can't finish second, so I will do this extreme action to avoid it").
* SPIFL covers cases where, objectively, the worst thing that happens to someone who finishes second is that he doesn't win. LIWTD, on the other hand, allows cases where losing entails a bad consequence beyond the match itself (e.g., dying by an opponent's sword for someone who believes it is BetterToDieThanBeKilled).

** Goku tries to give his life to win the Cell Games. [[FromASingleCell Doesn't work, though.]] Before this, Goku was given a chance ''by Cell'' to eat a senzu bean healing his wounds completely. When Goku refuses, Vegeta explains why with this trope.

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

* The [[http://www.highprogrammer.com/alan/gaming/shadowrun/clue-files.html Shadowrun CLUE Files]] contains numerous exaples of battles the players refused to retreat from no matter how many chances their {{Game Master}}s gave them before the TotalPartyKill.

* ''ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo'': Usagi and his OldMaster are at a swordfighting competition. At his master's prompting, Usagi repeats his instructions that he is there to test his skills, not necessarily to win and that winning is unimportant. Also at his master's prompting, Usagi says that he knows that if he ''doesn't'' win, his master will be beat him to a pulp.

* ''ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo'': Usagi and his OldMaster are at a swordfighting competition. Usagi is reminded that he is there to test his skills, not necessarily to win and that winning is unimportant. Usagi is then promptly also reminded that if he ''doesn't'' win his master will be beat him to a pulp.