History Main / MusicalAssassin

* In ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5055274/16/The-Graduation-Class The Graduation Class]]'', a ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' fanfic in which the author has several characters who fall into the AscendedExtra category, after their names are given in canon, one with a very slight elaboration. And they are all Assassins. This trope was used by [[MeaningfulName Emmanuelle les Deux Epées]] from [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Quirm]] who kills someone by playing a certain set of cords on a violin, firing a crossbow bolt. The author chose a violin deliberately, as the character was working as hitperson for the Troll crimelord Chrysoprase, to spoof 1930's tropes of the killer taking an unexpected tommy gun out of a violin case to play the music with.

* ''VideoGame/LordOfTheRingsOnline'': Not an assassin per se, but the Minstrel class uses instruments and voice to deal respectable damage.

* Vulturon the Condoroid of ''VideoGame/MegaManZX Advent'' is capable of repulsing melee attacks (and even some ranged attacks), discharging waves of scrap parts, and animating defunct Mechaniloids. While these do sound like ordinary powers to many a medium, what makes it noteworthy is that he does it all...with power chords. He also occasionally simply swats you with his guitar. (His Japanese name is Condorrock the Vulturoid. Go figure.)
** Tech Kraken of ''VideoGame/MegaManZero 4'' did something of the sort. At least, one of his attack calls is "Sound...dance!"

* [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-298 SCP-298]], a pipe organ that will expel blood right out of the audiences' bodies.

** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'': Each character can obtain a musical instrument that can be used as a limited-ammo special attack to destroy nearby enemies (Donkey Kong has bongos, possibly inspiring his Final Smash in
''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', while Diddy, Lanky, Tiny, and Chunky have an electric guitar, trombone, saxophone, and triangle, respectively).

* ''VideoGame/{{Cocoron}}'', a Japanese-only video game, in which you build six characters to play as, including the weapon they use. One of the weapons is musical notes, and the characters generally launch their attacks from their heads. LetsPlay/DeceasedCrab, a Website/YouTube celebrity, made this famous through his Let's Play of the game, with the third character he made being Tasian, the Singing Ninja Tank. ''''.

** A later ''Anime/LupinIIIPartII'' episode would have a conductor who could control the minds of people listening to his music by waving his baton.

** Let's not forget about Beethoven's suicide orchestra in the ''Anime/ReadOrDie'' OVA.

** The Mariners Siren Sorrento use a flute to weak and destroy opponent's mind. His music is so powerful that it leads directly to the brain; destroy your eardrums is useless.

* Midvalley the Horn Freak from ''Manga/{{Trigun}}'' uses the music from his saxophone to tear people apart. [[InstrumentOfMurder It also has a machine gun in it.]]

** Let's not forget Eldar Bonesingers, who use music to shape 'psychoreactive' wraithbone into a variety of weapons and tools. Their songs may not be literally lethal, but the gravitic induction shuriken launcher they just sang out of a lump of plastic is.

** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'': Each character can obtain a musical instrument that can be used as a limited-ammo special attack to destroy nearby enemies (Donkey Kong has bongos, possibly inspiring his Final Smash in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'', while Diddy, Lanky, Tiny, and Chunky have an electric guitar, trombone, saxophone, and triangle, respectively).

* Soul of ''Manga/SoulEater'' uses his skills as a pianist and general musical knowledge in order to, well, [[JustForPun orchestrate]] the black blood and control his own insanity to increasingly devastating effect.

** An improvised musical weapon features in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E6TheLazarusExperiment "The Lazarus Experiment"]], when the Doctor uses a church organ to kill the MonsterOfTheWeek, who is stretching his [[JustForPun mass]] [[ShapeshifterBaggage very thin]].

* ''VideoGame/{{Dubloon}}'' features the Quartet of the Seas, [[JustForPun a band]] of {{four|IsDeath}} {{superboss}}es, [[HurricaneOfPuns composed of]] a rapper Vypa, guitarist Standish, flutist Captain FC and a pianist Sparkles.

%%* ''Anime/{{Macross7}}'': "LISTEN TO MY SONG!"

* The [[BlindMusician Blind Musicians]] (well, only one of them was totally blind, the other had very rudimentary vision) in ''Film/KungFuHustle'' can tear people apart with their guqin music, [[RazorWind in the form of invisible blades and fists]], and at the height of their performance they're summoning hordes of Chinese zombie warrior ghosts out of their instruments.

* Erica Hayes's ''Literature/{{Shadowfae}}'' urban fantasy series features a variety of supernatural beings getting involved in a crime-ridden underworld, including vampires, [[SuccubiAndIncubi succubi]] and various types of [[OurFairiesAreDifferent fae]]. In this setting, [[OurBansheesAreLouder banshees]] have magical voices that can [[MagicMusic cast spells through song]], [[SuperScream shatter glass or physically harm/kill enemies with a scream]], and [[CompellingVoice persuade/seduce humans]]. They have [[SuperSenses supernaturally sharp hearing]], but their magic lets them filter all sounds so they are not overwhelmed by them, and the magical enhancement of their inner ear apparently also gives them perfect balance and enhanced coordination. The third volume of the series, ''Poison Kissed'', is narrated by a banshee who is employed by supernatural mobsters as a bodyguard/enforcer.

* ''Tabletopgame/{{Exalted}}'' wouldn't be a proper anime-based RPG if it didn't have one of these (it's a Dragon-blooded Performance charm, natch). The Abyssals also have a Performance charm that can deal damage, and there's a [[MartialArtsAndCrafts Celestial martial arts style]] based on this trope: the Silver-Voiced Nightingale Style.

* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' setting, 2nd edition Slaaneshi Noise Marines use sonic weapons whose destructive sound waves can tear humans and even tanks to shreds and looked like [[ThePowerOfRock electric guitars]]. It's not so much 'music' as 'flesh-rendingly loud noise', and were replaced with less fitting guns.

* The BigBad of ''Videogame/DeathSpank'', Lord Von Prong, uses singing as a smart bomb (and at the end of first act of the game, [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment ends all of his sentences with a falsetto high note]]). ''Why'' he uses singing as a power despite being otherwise a generic evil knight, [[MST3KMantra like many other things in the game]], is never explained.

%%* ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin3}}''

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros. Brawl'' has several. Donkey Kong uses bongos for his Final Smash (the damage and range of which depend on your rhythm); assist trophy Barbara the Bat jams on an electric guitar for a wide-range attack; [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Jigglypuff]] and [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Peach]] put enemies to sleep with song; Luigi uses a dance number to summon the Negative Zone; and King Dedede has a dance.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* The LostEpisode of ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' had the teens facing off against Punk Rocket whose music was destructively loud.

* ''VideoGame/{{Onmyoji}}'': Yōkinshi who kicks ass with style using the sound of his ''guqin''.

* In ''Film/ScottPilgrimVsTheWorld'' a Battle of the Bands turns literal, with Sex Bob-omb and the Katayanagi Twins blasting each other with waves of sound from their amps. Eventually those sound waves turn into a giant gorilla and a giant, two-headed dragon and fight it out over the heads of the audience.
** Let's not forget the bass battle between Scott and Todd where Scott [[spoiler:gets blown through three walls by the power of Todd's bass. He winds up landing in a coffee shop where he tricks Todd into drinking half and half, sapping him of his vegan powers]].

** The iconic example in the franchise is found in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII''. Organization XIII's number IX, the BrilliantButLazy [[MakingASplash water-manipulating]] ''ThatOneBoss'' sitar player, Demyx. One of the reaction command moments in the fight has him playing away, seemingly completely oblivious to Sora, who looks like he is either preparing an attack or trying to get his attention. But that's the extend of taking him lightly; anyone who faces him dreads hearing his CatchPhrase: "[[TimedMission DANCE, WATER, DANCE!]]"

Compare MagicMusic, DiscoTech, ThePowerOfRock, MakeMeWannaShout. See also BrownNote, which can be used by a Musical Assassin to cause insanity or death; DreadfulMusician, for musicians who merely make you ''wish'' you were dead; and InstrumentOfMurder, which is used by musicians for physical attacks.

* Erica Hayes's ''Literature/{{Shadowfae}}'' urban fantasy series features a variety of supernatural beings getting involved in a crime-ridden underworld, including vampires, [[SuccubiAndIncubi succubi]] and various types of [[OurFairiesAreDifferent fae]]. In this setting, [[OurBansheesAreLouder banshees]] have magical voices that can [[MagicMusic cast spells through song]], [[MakeMeWannaShout shatter glass or physically harm/kill enemies with a scream]], and [[CompellingVoice persuade/seduce humans]]. They have [[SuperSenses supernaturally sharp hearing]], but their magic lets them filter all sounds so they are not overwhelmed by them, and the magical enhancement of their inner ear apparently also gives them perfect balance and enhanced coordination. The third volume of the series, ''Poison Kissed'', is narrated by a banshee who is employed by supernatural mobsters as a bodyguard/enforcer.