History Main / OurHeroisDead

* ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'': Peter David was planning to keep the titular character dead for a while, but had to settle for one issue since he was leaving the title.

This trope is when an episode ends with the main character appearing to have been killed. This is supposedly a very dramatic event, so writers typically save this one for late in a season. Problem is, while the TrueCompanions and the BigBad will think Our Hero Is Dead, [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt the audience isn't fooled]]. Contrary to popular belief, most viewers know that if the hero died, the story would be over. But even knowing the hero isn't as dead as they look, it can still be shocking, and sure enough, in the next episode, we learn that the hero's PlotArmor saved them. The rest of the band rushes to their side, finds out they still havr a pulse, and the team retreats with the fallen hero slung over the shoulder of TheBigGuy to get them some [[AfterActionHealingDrama desperately needed medical attention]]. Then all the hero needs is some time to rest up, and they'll be back to fight another day.

* In ''ComicBook/KravensLastHunt'', Franchise/SpiderMan was considered dead for a month, and this was when he had ''four'' ongoing titles and none of them actually featured him, and dealt with the concept of his death.

* Ulquiorra of ''{{Manga/Bleach}}'' blew a giant gaping hole in Ichigo's chest after curbstomping him. He was probably legitimately dead. Orihime didn't care for that and Ichigo is currently some sort of berserk hollow... thing... that doesn't seem to be related to/act like his own inner hollow. The fight turned one sided in the other direction and ended in approximately four seconds.
** Turns out this is just Hichigo's latest evolution. Ichigo also, technically, was killed by Urahara back when he was training to rescue Rukia, when the maniac cut his chain-o'-fate. According to the rules, he's now a dead guy periodically wearing a live body that just happens to be his own. This luckily does not seem to have side effects (although the story seems to have totally lost track of his body long ago.)

* ''Series/TheDefenders2017'' seemingly ends with Matt Murdock being killed under Midland Circle fighting off his resurrected ex-girlfriend Elektra while Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Danny Rand escape. They try to paint the picture that Matt is dead by showing Foggy and Karen, plus the other Defenders, grieving, but the audience knows right away Matt survived because Netflix had ordered season 3 of ''Series/Daredevil2015'' a full 13 months before ''The Defenders'' came out, and killing off Matt would be an odd writing choice given how season 2 set up Wilson Fisk looking into Matt's life. Semi-lampshaded by Karen, who ponders to Foggy, "[[HesJustHiding Maybe...maybe he made it out.]]" Sure enough, the last shot is of Matt recovering in a convent, in a scene lifted straight from the ComicBook/DaredevilBornAgain comics.

* Occurs in ''Manga/TheVisionOfEscaflowne'', where one episode ends with a worrying volume of Van's blood dripping from the cockpit of an entirely unresponsive Escaflowne -- the implication being that he just bled to death after the recent battle. The next episode opens with the reveal that he's still (barely) alive, but things do ''not'' start looking up from there.