History Main / RemovingTheHeadOrDestroyingTheBrain

* Episode 2 of ''WebVideo/MissingReel'', [[ExcitedShowTitle "Zombies!"]], since it emphasizes how ''Film/NightOfTheLivingDead1968'' established the "aim for the head" method of killing zombies.

* [[NotUsingTheZWord Geeks]] in ''Series/TheWalkingDead''; downplayed when the group cuts the head off a walker, but the head is still alive. Daryl comes along and shoots the head and comments that only a headshot through the brain will put them down. This is also true in the GraphicNovel series it's based on. This occasionally crops up later in the series where a severed Walker head is still "alive", but as a disembodied head isn't a threat it can be ignored.
** Later on in the series, Philip Blake finds himself having to explain this to someone who doesn't understand why shooting them in the chest hasn't been working for her.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode, ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS35E1TheMagiciansApprentice The Magician's Apprentice]]'', Missy suggests that the best way to kill her so that she doesn't [[ResurrectiveImmortality regenerate]], is getting three snipers to shoot [[BizarreAlienBiology both hearts]] and her brain stem at the same time.

* Invoked in ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'' with Ulyaoth-aligned Zombies. One has to decapitate them or they will start singing and explode]]. However, zombies of all four Ancients will still fight without their heads (and will be momentarily stunned, comically patting their neck stump as if to say "Oi, who turned off the lights?"). Chattur'gha zombies will eventually [[HealingFactor regenerate their head]] and Xel'lotath's zombie will instantly produce a ghostly head in the original's place; that said, aiming for the noggin is a guaranteed way to deal good damage to them.

* Destroying the brain is the only way to kill a walker in ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead''. [[spoiler: The ''only'' way; not even the other half of the trope will suffice, as you'll find out if you look inside the Stranger's duffel bag after his death in Episode 5 of Season 1]].

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* ''Franchise/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
** Played straight by ghouls, as destroying their heads/brains or slicing them off their necks is the only way to stop them short of using sunlight or Hamon.
** Played with in regards to vampires. The mystical artifact that creates them does so by altering their brains, making total destruction of the head the only way not involving sunlight or Hamon to get rid of them, and even if you ''do'' use sunlight or Hamon they can actually survive as long as they don't get hit in the head with it. Decapitation just creates a pissed off vampire head. If you're not using sunlight or Hamon; however, you'd need to destroy it right down to the cellular level as at least one vampire was able to regenerate (slowly) from being blown into LudicrousGibs by a bunch of grenades. Granted, sufficient head trauma isn't very nice for them either, as while Dio managed to shrug off getting a bullet between his eyes with only a moment's hesitation, getting his skull caved in and brain punched by Star Platinum's fist gave him one ''hell'' of a concussion that left him unable to properly move his legs until he got a blood transfusion.
** Similar rules apply to the [[HumanoidAbomination Pillar Men]], who are basically souped up vampires. Esidisi survived being reduced to a ''brain'' by Hamon and only went down for good after taking another Hamon blast there. Wamuu was fatally injured by a Hamon explosion that destroyed all of his body ''except'' his head and was slowly disintegrating from that before he finally succumbed.

* Destroying the brain is the only way to kill a walker in ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead''. [[spoiler: The ''only'' way; not even the other half of the trope will suffice, as you'll find out if you look inside the Stranger's duffel bag after his death in Episode 5 of Season 1…]]

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* [[Wiki/SCPFoundation SCP Foundation]]:

* This is notably not required in ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' or ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'', unless you active the NintendoHard "Realism Mode" where only headshots kill. This makes sense because the Infected are {{Technically Living Zombie}}s.

* Invoked in ''{{Literature/Tasakeru}}''. During a fight with a MadeOfIron [[OurZombiesAreDifferent Revenant]], Commander Nadeshiko wonders how invincible he'll be with a split skull. [[spoiler: She doesn't get a chance to find out.]]
* [[TechnicallyLivingZombie Feral humans]] in ''Literature/JanitorsOfThePostapocalypse'', and [[UpliftedAnimal cured humans]] since they retain [[BizarreHumanBiology feral physiology]], ''can'' be killed in other ways. They can starve, they can asphyxiate, they can be electrocuted or blown up. But it takes serious trauma to the brain or upper spine to be sure they're dead without those more elaborate methods. They are tough, don't feel pain, and any wounds stop bleeding by themselves in a hurry. A severed head will be conscious and responsive for several minutes before dying. They can certainly be hurt to the point of needing medical attention, cybernetic parts, and a long time to heal, though, and cured humans taking severe injuries sometimes revert back into ferals.

* ''Manga/DragonBall'': Namekians are able to regenerate from most wounds or missing limbs so long as their head is still intact. However, doing so takes energy and they can still be killed by a sufficiently powerful attack. Cell, an ArtificialHuman made of the DNA of various fighters including Piccolo, possesses the same ability UpToEleven, as there is a specific nucleus in his head that absolutely must be destroyed[[note]]Which caused a PlotHole when Cell was still able to regenerate when Goku at one point completely annihilates his upper body. The dub changed this to him being to [[FromASingleCell regenerate from any cell]][[/note]] to kill him.

*** [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] with KTE-1181, a.k.a. "Infectious Slime Mold". The ameboid compels hosts to walk into populated areas before causing their cranium to [[YourHeadAsplode reproduce at an exponential rate, building up pressure within the skull until the host body's cranium bursts]], infecting anybody nearby. Thanks to this, the manual entry on them explicitly warns against headshots, and instead recommend using a sniper going for well-placed shots to the chest.

* In ''Fanfic/HarmonyTheory'', Nightmare Umbra's undead minions can only be destroyed by crushing their skulls. They regenerate from anything else, including decapitation.

The ubiquitous "gotta shoot 'em in the head" scenario. For many different reasons, TheUndead throughout fiction are vulnerable only to BoomHeadshot. Kinda like how ([[OurVampiresAreDifferent many]]) vampires are only vulnerable to getting stabbed in the heart. Fortunately, removal of the head also works on people who are not a member of the walking dead, so you don't have to worry about it going out of fashion as a killing method. This may have a somewhat scientific basis: first, [[YouCantKillWhatsAlreadyDead a zombie would have a lowered to nonexistent pain response, and would most likely not stop attacking until its nervous system has been effectively severed]] — since it is ''dead'', pettier issues like "missing organs" or "blood loss" won't be as effective as they would be on the living. Second, mindless though they may seem, zombies logically have to still need brains to command to their muscles to walk, to analyze what their eyes send them, and thus know that there is a human to be eaten in front of them, etcetera.

* In the ''Franchise/DoctorWho'' novel, ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoMissingAdventures29ColdFusion Cold Fusion]]'' Time Lady, Patience is unable to regenerate after being shot through her brain.

* ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'' can only be killed by destroying their brains. Decapitation just usually leaves an irritated head and a lifeless body (as shown by Zombie Wasp and [[FanNickname Headpool]]), sometimes a headless body walking around (as shown with ''Earth-Z'''s Electro).

* The ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' games zig-zags the trope, but until a certain point, it's played straight with T-Virus zombies (there's even a note in one of the mansion's rooms explaining this, adding that [[KillItWithFire incineration]] is another way to keep the zombies down). Shooting them or their crimson heads "evolutions" anywhere else on their bodies does take them out of the fight for a good while, but only until they mutate to the next form. The crimson head's next form, the Licker, averts it quite spectacularly, in the sense that its (fully exposed) brain ''isn't even a weak spot'' - its (also exposed) '''heart''' is.
** In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'', [[DirtyCop Chief Irons]] calls this trope out nearly word-for-word in regards to the mayor's daughter, an [[spoiler:apparent]] zombie victim [[spoiler:killed by Irons himself; he just [[NotMeThisTime blamed]] the zombies]].
** This actually gets subverted in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' and ''[[VideoGame/ResidentEvil5 5]]''. The "zombies" of the game, the Ganados/Majini can often be stunned by shooting them in the head, but doing so brings risks. Namely, destroying their heads may release difficult to kill Las Plaga, some of which can [[OneHitKill kill the hero in one hit]][[note]]Although Plagas will still erupt from their neck even if you don't shoot them in the head, so long as your guns or knife are what "killed" the regular enemy[[/note]]. The best option is to shoot them in the body, legs, or head once to stun them, then use melee attacks.
** Headshots aren't the only way to kill the Molded in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil7Biohazard'', but it's definitely the best and most ammo-efficient way, as they can take a surprising amount of lead to the body before succumbing (think one shotgun shell to the head vs. five or six to the torso).
** Actually ''defied'' in the ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' 2019 remake or at least what we've seen so far from the demo. Shooting a zombie's head with a handgun is no longer a OneHitKill; the shotgun [[YourHeadAsplode produces more reliable results]] but ''even then'' it isn't a guarantee.
*** Headshots CAN still instakill a zombie in the remake. However, for this to happen you have to get a lucky [[YourHeadAsplode critical hit]]. This can happen with any weapon, even the basic handgun, but more powerful guns have a higher chance. Anything short of the entire head exploding does no more damage than a body shot. The best way to deal with zombies in the remake is by [[AnArmAndALeg shooting them in the legs]]. Blowing off a leg makes them unable to walk, they can only crawl pitifully slowly, making them easy to finish off with a knife. They can't attack you if they're on the ground and you're behind them.
* Stalfos in ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' games. However, in some games, the only way to kill Stalfos is by using bombs ([[ChunkySalsaRule in order to shatter their bones]]).
** The Dead Hands boss in ''Ocarina'' needs to be struck in the head, although it's unclear if DH is undead or [[HumanoidAbomination something else]].
** ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'' has a variation in that Stalfos spawn in groups and their bodies won't stop regenerating until all their skulls are destroyed.
* The zombies in ''VideoGame/ColdFear''. The Exocell parasite nests in the cranium, feeding on the brain.

* ''Film/ResidentEvil''. The zombies can only be killed by severing the top of the spinal column or massive trauma to the brain.

* Averted in ''Film/ParaNorman''. In one scene, one of the zombies is run over by a car and gets dismembered, which also includes his head being separated from his body. However, he doesn’t die, and the next time we see the zombies, they’re finishing putting him back together.

* The [[ZergRush Zombie Horde]] [[WolfpackBoss boss]] in ''VideoGame/DawnOfTheDragons'' has the individual zombies moan "brains" at you. When your character asks TheNecromancer who is [[GuestStarPartyMember currently guest-starring]] if they want to [[BrainFood eat your brains]], she explains that zombies are actually {{Apologetic Attacker}}s and that they're trying to tell you "destroy our brains".

* In ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfMordor'', an Uruk Nemesis has a chance to "cheat death" and come back to torment you unless you decapitate them (and decapitation is the ''only'' way to make sure a Nemesis with the title "the Unkillable" stays dead). However, Sauron isn't also known as "TheNecromancer" for nothing In the sequel ''VideoGame/MiddleEarthShadowOfWar'', even this might not stop them, as they can come back as Frankenstein's monster-like beasts with their heads stitched back on, or as the undead, and in the original, the game can glitch in such a way that a decapitated Nemesis comes back with no head, still as mouthy as ever.

-->--'''Zantoro''', ''Film/HellOfTheLivingDead''

* In ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem'', vampires' HealingFactor can restore them from anything short of FinalDeath (which usually takes [[KillItWithFire fire]], [[WeakenedByTheLight sunlight]], or a ''lot'' of punishment), but decapitation is instantly lethal. One vampire comments on the oddity of being vulnerable to decapitation even though she functions just fine without her ''brain''.

->''"Cut it out! Stop wasting your damn bullets, you jerks! You need to hit their heads! I told you! See, like this!" ''[shoots zombie in the head]''''
-->-- ''Film/HellOfTheLivingDead''

* ''Franchise/JoJosBizarreAdventure''

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan''

* Dracula is vanquished several times in ''Comicbook/TheTombOfDracula'' and ''Comicbook/DraculaLives'', but since his head is never removed afterwards to make his death permanent, he always manages to return.

* Played with in ''Film/{{Scream 3}}''. The killer is wearing a bulletproof vest under his Ghost Face costume, so [[spoiler:Dewey]] has to shoot him in the head to kill him. This is after Sydney stabbed him in the chest with a stiletto, giving you a rather interesting take on the "stake-through-the-heart-and-cut-off-the-head" method of killing a vampire. Lampshaded earlier in the movie when [[spoiler:Randy, in his postmortem trilogy rules video]] explains that the killer is going to be supernatural this time around, requiring some special means to deal with him.

** In ''Dead Space 3'' there's a new enemy called the Creeper, which is a disembodied zombie head that pilots a dead space marine body. These are one of the few neromorphs who consider the head as a OneHitKill.

* ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}''

* ''VideoGame/TimeSplitters''

* Averted in ''VideoGame/{{Doom 3}}''. Headshots do cause a good amount of extra hurt on everything, including zombies. However, body shots work just fine, and some zombies don't even really have heads to begin with.

* The zombies in ''VideoGame/{{Postal}} 2: Apocalypse Weekend'' will live as long as their head is not destroyed by the sledgehammer or the shotgun. Comedically, the game is very specific that the head must be ''destroyed''. If you simply chop it off with a bladed weapon, the zombie body will still be walking around and attacking just fine while the head rolls around on the ground.

* Downplayed in ''[[Videogame/TheLastOfUs The Last of Us]]''; [[TechnicallyLivingZombie the Infected]] are most vulnerable in their heads, since the fungus that takes over and sprouts from their brains renders their skulls somewhat fragile, but enough shots to centre mass will do the trick as well. Most of Joel's mêlée takedowns on Infected have him either bashing their heads open against a hard surface (or with his weapon if he's holding one) or stomping on them. It seems as though gunshots to any part of the body can kill an Infected, but anyone hoping to take one out with a mêlée weapon or bare hands ''needs'' to aim for the head.

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* [[TechnicallyLivingZombie Feral humans]] in ''Literature/JanitorsOfThePostapocalypse'', and [[UpliftedAnimal cured humans]] aince they retain [[BizarreHumanBiology feral physiology]], ''can'' be killed in other ways. They can starve, they can asphyxiate, they can be electrocuted or blown up. But it takes serious trauma to the brain or upper spine to be sure they're dead without those more elaborate methods. They are tough, don't feel pain, and any wounds stop bleeding by themselves in a hurry. A severed head will be conscious and responsive for several minutes before dying. They can certainly be hurt to the point of needing medical attention, cybernetic parts, and a long time to heal, though, and cured humans taking severe injuries sometimes revert back into ferals.

*** The guide for handling [[NotUsingTheZWord Type Grays]], one of the most reliable methods of killing them is just to destroy the brain, however the guide also says the [[OurZombiesAreDifferent wide variety of causes of reanimation]] means [[KillItWithFire Kill it With Fire]] is still the best option.