History Main / PlotTriggeringDeath

* ''{{Octopussy}}'': 009 is murdered in East Berlin. MI6 suspecting Soviet involvement calls in 007.

* ''{{Hamlet}}'', making this OlderThanSteam (though the dead man also appears as a ghost).

** Yet another Pixar example: Leland Turbo from [[{{Cars}} ''Cars 2'']].

* [[spoiler: 2's]] death in ''Film/{{Nine}}''. The BigBad Fabrication Machine absorbs his spirit near the start of the film, killing him and powering it up enough to start fighting against the other protagonists.

* In ''OnePiece'', the death of Gold Rogers lauches the Golden Age of Piracy, the setting of the story.

* '''{{Alias}}''': Sydney tells her fiancé that she is a spy, leading to her boss [[FirstEpisodeSpoiler having him killed]]. When her leave of absence gets a bit too long for her boss's comfort, he [[ItGotWorse sends killers after her too]]. Then she finds out that she works for the bad guys, and that her semi-estranged dad is one of them. Then she earns the bad guys' trust so that she can become a double agent with the CIA. ''Then'' she finds out that her dad has been a double agent all along. Whew. On to episode two.

* The plot of ''GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' starts when CJ comes back to Los Santos after five years in Liberty City to attend his mother's funeral.

* ''VeronicaMars'' had the [[YourMileageMayVary "better"]] seasons begin with the death(s) of important characters to stimulate the season long story arc or A-plot.

* ''BackToTheFuture'' Part 3: Doc, stranded in 1885, [[WriteBackToTheFuture sends a letter to Marty]], telling him where he can find the time machine, how he can fix it using 1955 technology, and most importantly, urging him to go back to 1985 without him. But while recovering the time machine, Marty finds Doc's grave, showing that he'd been murdered only a week after writing the letter, which prompts Marty to travel to 1885 to save Doc.

* The Comedian's murder in ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}''.

* Your guardian Gorion's death at the start of ''BaldursGate'' (the first game) kicks off the plot.

* As the page quote shows the plot of ''EternalDarkness'' is set off by the death of the main character's grandfather, which leads Alex to his house and to find the [[TomeOfEldritchLore Tome Of Eternal Darkness]] which serves as a framing device for previous characters' struggles in the fight (who might also count as this trope, given they have a tendancy to die [[AndIMustScream or worse]] at the end of their chapters).

* ''BackToTheFuture'' Part 3: Doc, stranded in 1885, [[WriteBackToTheFuture sends a letter to Marty]], telling him where he can find the time machine, how he can fix it using 1955 technology, and most importantly, urging him to go back to 1985 without him. But while recovering the time machine, Marty finds Doc's grave, showing that he'd been murdered only a week after writing the letter, which makes Marty want to go to 1885 to save Doc.

* As the page quote shows the plot of ''EternalDarkness'' is set off by the death of the main character's grandfather, which leads Alex to his house and to find the [[TomeOfEldritchLore Tome Of Eternal Darkness]] which serves as a framing device for previous character deaths (which might also count).

-->"I am doctor Edward Roivas. I am a clinical Psychologist. ''I am also dead''. This is not my story, nor even the story of the Roivas family. It is the story of humanity. Like it or not, believe it or not as you will. Your perceptions will not change reality, but simply colour it. Humanity has been on the edge of extinction for two millennia. Ignorant of so much, and dependent on so few. The guardians grow restless. Their time once again near. Whether by fate or misfortune, my family has crossed their path. And they didn’t take kindly too it. Their attention turns to my grand-daughter. For she is the last of my line, and the last hope of humanity."
-->--''EternalDarkness'', Introduction.

* Your guardian Gorion's death at the start of ''BaldursGate'' (the first game) kicks off the plot.