History Main / RedemptionEqualsDeath

** In "The Doctor Falls", [[spoiler: Missy]] dies in a MutualKill after shooting [[spoiler: [[IHatePastMe her former self]]]].

->''"The problem with a 'redemption' gig is, well, no one want to see it. They all went to believe in it, sure, but to do it... it's as good as signing your own death warrent. Audiences don't want to see you redeemed, living a normal life. They'll never truly forgive your for your flaws as long as you're alive."''

** AmoralAttorney Lindsey gets a case of WouldntHurtAChild when he is tasked by his law firm to prepare a defense for a contract killer set to kill some innocent children. He runs to Angel Investigations in an attempt at a HeelFaceTurn but balks at the idea of returning to the highly secured law firm to help Angel stop the assassin since it could me his death. Angel then accuses Lindsey of being more worried about self preservation than changing for the better and tries to invoke this trope.

** ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' has Pietro Maximoff, a foe to the Avengers through the early goings of the film, give his life to protect Clint Barton and a child he had gone back to rescue when Ultron shoots up the joint in the Quinjet he hijacked.

* At the climax of ''Film/ThorRagnarok'', [[spoiler: Skurge stays behind and fights off Hela's minions in order to allow the surviving Asgardians to escape, and ultimately ends up being [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impaled]] after Hela realizes what he's doing]].

** Doctor Octavius gets this in ''Film/SpiderMan2'': when he drags his out-of-control fusion experiment underwater, stopping it but killing himself in the process.

* In Farworld, Land keep, [[spoiler: Rhaidnan]] betrays his friends Kyja and Marcus to the Zentan. One chapter later, after being berated by his family, [[spoiler:he takes a flaming dagger to the chest]] to save [[spoiler:Kyja]]- saying as he[[spoiler: bursts into flames]]

* In ''Film/{{Insomnia}}'', AlPacino's character is a cop who crossed the MoralEventHorizon but redeems himself in the end saving another cop from the BigBad but dies in the process. He wins over her respect at least.

** Somewhat inverted during the [[KillThemAll Genocide Run]]. Final boss, [[spoiler:Sans]], offers to spraer player midway through [[spoiler:his]] fight. If player accepts, [[ISurrenderSuckers he'll get attacked with an unblockable insta-kill]]. However, considering how boss [[spoiler:knows about player's ability to control time and actually asks them to go back and do everything again right way]], it's less "redemption equals death" and more "resurrection equals redemption".

* During the [[KillThemAll Genocide Run]] in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' you are offered a way out numerous times, one of the most prominent examples being [[spoiler:Papyrus]], who does not even try to fight you hoping you will do the right thing and not kill [[spoiler: him]]. That's what makes this trope so surprising when the Final Boss ([[spoiler:Sans]]) shows up. Midway through a fight [[ThatOneBoss that is deliberately designed to frustrate the player]] into [[RageQuit giving up]], you are offered a chance to back down and Spare the boss. If you do so, [[spoiler:he]] will lure you into a false sense of security [[OneHitKill only to kill you in one hit]] because he considers you´ve done too much evil to be forgiven. Subverted in that you are still allowed to back down, by resetting and therefore undoing all the harm that you caused, as he suggests you do.

->''"The problem with a "redemption" gig is, well, no one want to see it. They all went to believe in it, sure, but to do it... it's as good as signing your own death warrent. Audiences don't want to see you redeemed, living a normal life. They'll never truly forgive your for your flaws as long as you're alive."''

->''"Please, I've done so much wrong. Allow me to do one last thing right."''
-->-- ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''

* Subverted in the Film/StarTrek fanfic ''Fanfic/FlightOfTheCondor''. The fugitive Richard Beckwith is killed saving [[spoiler: Edith Keeler's life]]. However, [[spoiler: Keeler]] later becomes involved in [[spoiler: WorldWarTwo, changing who lives and who dies, causing Earth to be populated by different people for the next three hundred years, preventing the existence of the Federation and the ''Enterprise''.]]

** [[spoiler: Sasha, the previously utterly amoral mole and infiltrator]] ends up at the wrong end of [[spoiler:Oasis's knives]] following [[spoiler: her evidently sincere claim that she really does love Riff and wants to make amends.]] What makes it particularly cruel is that it was all more or less an accident.

* Though most [[DefeatMeansFriendship redeemed villains]] [[HeelFaceTurn get to live and continue on as protagonists]] in ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'', at least one character, [[spoiler:the first Reinforce]], got smacked with this via HeroicSacrifice shortly after her OmnicidalManiac side was dealt with. [[spoiler:She got better. [[OurPhlebotinumChild Kinda]].]]

* In ''Literature/TheGuardians'', death is the only way to release [[spoiler: Lilith]] from their DealWithTheDevil. Unfortunately, it doesn't take.

* ''WesternAnimation/TitanAE'' has a classic example. In this case, the improbability of [[spoiler:Corso]]'s sudden betrayal and total personality change, sudden redemption, and even suddener death really draws attention to this trope. It's even lampshaded. The hero hesitates to leave Corso to die, but Corso says, "Just go, it's easier this way."