History Main / RunningOverThePlot

* As noted above, the sheer overuse of this method in the isekai genre has led to the idea of the truck being a sentient character hunting down main character material in the streets of Japan, leading to variations like [[https://twitter.com/neurowing/status/1399211410769559553 a Transformer getting punched by a robot that turns into a truck]], one comic even inverting it with the ''truck'' [[PedestrianCrushesCar getting sent to the fantasy world]], and a one-shot manga (titled "Isekai Truck", appropriately enough), where the protagonist runs down selected Japanese persons to send them to a fantasy world in need of heroes.

It's a well-observed cliche to start [[TrappedInAnotherWorld an isekai]] work with the protagonist [[LookBothWays being run over by a vehicle]] so they will die and ReincarnateInAnotherWorld. MemeticMutation has [[AmalgamatedIndividual conflated these]] into "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truck-kun Truck-kun]]", the ''same'' truck heroically going around killing ordinary teenagers so as to send fantasy worlds the hero they're summoning. Characters sent to these worlds in this way are often said to have been "isekaied."

* While Strange is not exactly hit by a car, a vehicular accident is the incident that sets the plot in motion in ''Film/DoctorStrange''.

If a character (nearly) runs into someone, but doesn't actually hit them (and that kick-starts the plot), that would be a subversion. If a plot ends by someone being run over, that would be an inversion.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/runningplot1.png]]

[[quoteright:350:[[Literature/DidntISayToMakeMyAbilitiesAverageInTheNextLife https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/watashi_nouryoku_wa_heikinchi_de_tte_itta_yo_ne_01_large_17.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:And here's where our story ''really'' starts...]]

[[quoteright:350:[[LightNovel/DidntISayToMakeMyAbilitiesAverageInTheNextLife https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/watashi_nouryoku_wa_heikinchi_de_tte_itta_yo_ne_01_large_17.jpg]]]]

* Parodied in ''LightNovel/KonoSuba'', where the protagonist, Kazuma, is almost hit by an extremely slow ''tractor'' - actually dying of shock - and his death is so absurd, ''his own family'' apparently laughed at it.
* Inverted in ''Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable'': the main villain Yoshikage Kira is ultimately defeated when [[DeathByAmbulance an ambulance accidentally runs over his head]] when he's lying on the street after Jotaro beats him up.

* ''Film/GhostInTheShell'' has a truck driver run over a naked woman on a rainy freeway. It turns out to be [[spoiler:Project 2501 escaping in a cyborg body]].

* This is the typical kickoff point for many [[TrappedInAnotherWorld "isekai"]] anime, in which the protagonist hit by a truck will ReincarnateInAnotherWorld. It's so common it's become its own meme, and anime fans will talk about the deadly "Truck-kun", slayer of [=NEETs=]. It's also made fun of in ''LightNovel/KonoSuba'', where the protagonist, Kazuma, is almost hit by an extremely slow ''tractor'' - actually dying of shock - and his death is so absurd, ''his own family'' apparently laughed at it.

* Inverted in ''Manga/DiamondIsUnbreakable'': the main villain Yoshikage Kira is ultimately defeated when an ambulance accidentally runs over his head when he's lying on the street after Jotaro beats him up.

It's a well-observed cliche to start [[TrappedInAnotherWorld an isekai]] work with the protagonist [[LookBothWays being run over by a vehicle]] so they will die and ReincarnateInAnotherWorld. MemeticMutation has [[AmalgamatedIndividual conflated these into "Truck-kun"]], the ''same'' truck heroically going around killing ordinary teenagers so as to send fantasy worlds the hero they're summoning. Characters sent to these worlds in this way are often said to have been "isekaied."

* Played straight in ''Anime/ZombieLandSaga'', since the protagonist Sakura literally dies hit by a truck in the cold opening of episode 1. A very metal OP ensues, and then she spends the rest of the show as a resurrected zombie/idol at the beck and call of a necromancer/producer.

* Subverted in ''Anime/TheWorldEndsWithYou''. It looks like the protagonist, Neku, is about to be Isekai'd by an incoming truck, only to find that it harmlessly phases through him. It turns out that he had been transported to the Underground version of Shibuya already at the beginning of the story.

* This is the typical kickoff point for many [[TrappedInAnotherWorld "isekai"]] anime, in which the protagonist hit by a truck will ReincarnateInAnotherWorld. It's so common it's become its own meme, and anime fans will talk about the deadly truck-kun, slayer of [=NEETs=]. It's also made fun of in ''LightNovel/KonoSuba'', where the protagonist, Kazuma, is almost hit by an extremely slow ''tractor'' - actually dying of shock - and his death is so absurd, ''his own family'' apparently laughed at it.

It's a well-observed cliche to start [[TrappedInAnotherWorld an isekai]] work with the protagonist [[LookBothWays being run over by a vehicle]] so they will die and ReincarnateInAnotherWorld. MemeticMutation has [[AmalgamatedIndividual conflated these into "Truck-kun"]], the ''same'' truck heroically going around killing ordinary teenagers so as to send fantasy worlds the hero they're summoning.

* In the ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' episode "Josh Runs into Oprah", Josh accidentally runs over Creator/OprahWinfrey on his way to see her show for his birthday. The rest of the episode has him try to find her at the hospital to apologize.

** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS15E09IAnnoyedGruntBot I, (Annoyed Grunt)-bot]]", Bart deliberately throws his bicycle in the path of Dr. Hibbert's car. After the collision, Dr. Hibbert assures Bart he'll pay for a new bike, then returns to his car, vowing to keep his eyes on the road... before getting distracted and hitting Snowball II as well, killing her.

->''"What a way to go.'' ({{Beat}}) ''Run over.'' ({{Beat}}) ''Twice.'' ({{Beat}}) ''By two consecutive buses."''

->''"What a way to go. ({{Beat}}) Run over. ({{Beat}}) Twice. ({{Beat}}) By two consecutive buses."''

* In ''Series/TheTwilightZone'' episode "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS5E134YouDrive You Drive]]", Ollie Pope runs over and kills a kid before the opening narration, and the story revolves around his guilt making his car a SentientVehicle.

It's a well-observed cliche to start [[TrappedInAnotherWorld an isekai]] work with the protagonist [[LookBothWays being run over by a vehicle]] so they will die and ReincarnateInAnotherWorld. MemeticMutation has conflated these into "Truck-kun", the ''same'' truck heroically going around killing ordinary teenagers so as to send fantasy worlds the hero they're summoning.