History Main / SacrificialLamb

Also see the RedShirt, who is not so much a character as he is a practice dummy for the villains; WeHardlyKnewYe, in which a character is introduced and dies much more quickly with less impact; and MonsterMunch, in which a character is introduced purely to be killed by an enemy, showing off its abilities or lethality.

* The remake of ''[[Film/FrightNight2011 Fright Night]]'' has "Evil" Ed. He's the main character's ex-best friend and is already on to Jerry's status as a vampire. He's also played by the recognizable Christopher Mintz-Plasse. Then he's bitten by Jerry less than twenty minutes in, though he doesn't actually ''die'' until later.

* The movie version of ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' features Waylon Forge, a character not in the books who apparently merely exists to have the movies show the vampires actually killing someone.

* In Sharon Kay Penman's historical novel "Literature/TheSunneInSplendour", several early chapters are told from the point of view of Edmund, Earl of Rutland. Portrayed as thoughtful, wise-beyond-his-years, and caring of his younger brother, the future King Richard III. The novel sticks to history and seventeen-year-old Edmund is murdered, Red Wedding Style, against the rules of honor while he is a prisoner of the House of Lancaster.

%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1326247628045440200
%% Please start a new thread if you'd like to suggest an image.

* In UsefulNotes/{{the Bronze Age|OfComicBooks}} {{revival}} of the ''Comicbook/XMen'' comic, Thunderbird is killed two issues after he's introduced. He was actually created to be kicked off the team in his first issue, but the writers changed their mind at the last moment. Then they realized they no idea what to do with him.

* Kole, of the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' comics, was created ''just so she could die'' in the original ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''.
* Trajectory from the "new" ComicBook/InfinityInc.
* All but one of the members of the ''ComicBook/XForce'' revamp later known as the ''ComicBook/XStatix'' were killed at the end of the first issue - including the team leader and narrator. Later, the new team assembled in the wake of the original group's demise saw Bloke and St. Anna bite it on their first mission. The survival rate improved slightly until the Spike and U-Go Girl died just before the change to X-Statix.

* In ''[[ComicBook/Marvel2099 X-Men 2099]]'', Serpentina is easily the most likeable character, is the closest thing to a love interest for the viewpoint character, and has the less than impressive [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway power to stretch her arms]]. She dies in the third issue, the end of the first story arc.
* ''ComicBook/OneHundredBullets'': Lee Dolan is the second recipient of Graves' attache case that is seen. He gets a headshot from the target of his revenge.
* In #0 of ''ComicBook/SevenSoldiers'' introduced is a new Seven Soldiers of Victory composed of veteran member Greg Saunders as Vigilante, Gimmix, Boy Blue, Dyno-Mite Dan, I Spyder, and Shelly Gaynor as the third Whip. Despite most of the members being strictly Z-List, with the exception of Greg and Shelly somewhat, fans had already grown to like them and were saddened when the majority of the team was killed off at the end of the issue.

* In ''ComicBook/TheAvengersJonathanHickman'', there are a series of alternate Illuminati who exist just to die to the planetary threats which are menacing 616 Earth.

* The DC mini-series ''ComicBook/CosmicOdyssey'' features the heroes protecting four planets from the Anti-Life Equation. Three of those planets (Earth, Rann, Thanagar) were long-established worlds in the DC Universe, while the fourth (Xanshi) had only a couple of appearances prior to the mini-series, so it gets destroyed.

* ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainKnightOfTheOrangeLily'': Kisaragi explains the story of how he met Tokio in the 400 Rabbits Car, which involved him being introduced to his friend Utahoshi. Utahoshi was a kind and gentle rabbit who was hoping to take the throne and be the next White Rabbit. [[spoiler:Unfortunately, due to Grace and the Apex coming in, when he tried to reach out to a terrified Tokio -- who was trying to ''escape'' the Apex after they had assaulted him -- he let his back be turned, and Grace pluged a celestial bronze knife -- a weapon that kills anything non-human aka '''everyone made by the Train''' -- into the back of his skull, klling him.]] It showed just ''how'' dangerous Grace and the Apex are and her and apathy towards anyone that wasn't Apex.

* In ''WesternAnimation/BigHero6'', after Hiro Hamada is bailed out of jail after participating in an illegal underworld bot-fighting club, his older brother Tadashi takes him to S.F.I.T., the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, where he meets Tadashi's friends, who will later become his teammates and friends. After a fire breaks out in the exhibition hall, Tadashi rushes in to try to rescue Professor Callaghan, only for Tadashi to be killed, with Callaghan apparently killed as well, [[spoiler: only for Callaghan to survive and be unmasked as Yokai, vowing revenge against Alistair Krei and his Krei Tech company, because he believed his daughter Abigail was killed, only to discover that she is alive and well]].

* In the otherwise very goofy ''WesternAnimation/ChickenRun'', at the very beginning of the film, one of the chickens (Edwina), also known as #282, who has stopped laying eggs is killed and eaten by the farmers, to remind the viewers that yes, this is a chicken farm, and yes, when they get too old, they get eaten (which is why the chickens are trying to escape, of course).
* ''WesternAnimation/WatershipDown'' had Violet, a rabbit extra who didn't exist in the book, dying early on to show the world was full of danger. But to those who remember the book, it was a foregone conclusion anyway since once they reach Watership Down, they have no females to continue their lineage with and have to search for more.
* ''WesternAnimation/SausageParty'': This trope is of significant value to a movie where the main characters are food. There's the Irish potato who was singing "Danny Boy", then an Italian tomato, then a head of lettuce, a loaf of bread getting sliced by knife, strips of bacon, a block of cheese, a bunch of tortilla chips, and baby carrots.

* As soon as the ComicBook/SuicideSquad is assembled and briefed in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanAssaultOnArkham'', [=KGBeast=] decides that Amanda Waller is bluffing about the [[ExplosiveLeash implanted bombs]]. He soon becomes [[MakeAnExampleOfThem an object lesson to the others]] that Waller is ''not'' bluffing.

** There was an actual entity called the Sacrificial Lamb that was summoned in 2, intended to be this trope - [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope but it ended up being possessed by Nether Parasites and resurrected as the very dangerous Goat from Heck]]]].

* ''Webcomic/OffWhite:'' The entire pack ([[EverybodysDeadDave except for one]]) that was introduced in chapter 2. Yes, even the puppies.
* One Eye from ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''. His most important contribution to the plot is to become a motivation for Big Ears to become a paladin.

* 8 characters emerge from boxes at the start of [[{{Webcomic/Morphe}} morphE]]. All synopses mention only 5 characters emerging from the crates. 8 - 5 = 3 characters dying in chapter 1.

** And in V5, prominent pregame character [[spoiler: David Russell]] commits suicide in his opening post. He is soon followed by [[spoiler: Daniel Whitten]], and [[spoiler: Naomi Bell]].

* ''{{WebAnimation/RWBY}}'' has Tukson, a bookstore owner that had defected from the White Fang. He's murdered in the opening scene of Volume 2 to demonstrate how dangerous Mercury and Emerald are.
* Joey and Ajax from ''Literature/ThePiratesCoveredInFur''. The former was one of the main characters' boyfriends, while the latter was part of [[TheHero Michum's]] main group. They're both killed off in the same chapter to show how ruthless Lyle's invasion will be and to enforce that AnyoneCanDie.
* ''Literature/TailsOfTheSpaceGladiators'' has Jamie Garvon, an inmate who becomes one of David's close friends, and he also teaches him some tips about surviving in prison. He's killed in chapter 6 to show just how deadly the other gladiators and tournaments are and to hammer in that no one is safe.

* Ripcord in ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeRenegades'', though his death wasn't just for drama: The premise of the show is that his teammates are being pursued for his murder (which they didn't cause) and the destruction of a Cobra Industries plant (which they ''were'' responsible for, but they acted in self-defense).
* Morph on the ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'' cartoon series, who came BackFromTheDead due to popularity.
* Most of the Monarch's henchmen in ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' only last a single episode before being brutally killed by Brock Sampson or another threat. Only Henchmen 21 and 24 survived all of them until the third season when 24 was killed in an explosion.
* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'' pulled the exact same thing with Cliffjumper, he was briefly brought back to life, but he CameBackWrong, and then died in an explosion, with no signs he'll return. His relation to Arcee was explored in a flashback in "Out of the Past".
** There was also Tailgate, another partner whose death has driven Arcee mad. The show never reveals Tailgate's appearance.
** Wheeljack mentioned all the other Wreckers died in the war before they brought the war to earth, including Seaspray and Roadbuster.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': In the episode "Hooky", Patrick invites [=SpongeBob=] to play on the fish hooks cast into Bikini Bottom by humans. Seeing there are so many hooks and not one fish around, [=SpongeBob=] asks "''Where is everybody?''", Patrick replies he did see a kid playing with the hooks earlier and the camera zooms to child-sized shoes laying on the ground...
* A whole episode of ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'' was devoted to parodying this trope. It begins with the narrator telling viewers that one character will die, and assuring them that they're not going to do something cheap like bring in a new character just so they can kill him. The show then proceeds to do exactly that, in an incredibly obvious fashion, complete with the cast going out of their way to act like [[RememberTheNewGuy the new guy had been around all along]] ("Oh Ponce, you're a regular character!") Ponce dies almost immediately after the regular cast are done telling everyone how much they love him.
* In ''WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperHeroes,'' Ferro Lad dies two episodes after his introduction in an awesome HeroicSacrifice. His death was the same as the comics, but watchers and readers got to know the comic version for much longer.
%% * Frank Grimes on ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''.
%% * Felicity in ''WesternAnimation/{{Felidae}}''.
* ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM'': [[TokenAdult Cat]] is an [[CoolOldGuy elderly member]] of the [[LaResistance Knothole Freedom Fighters]], most of whom are [[ChildSoldier teenagers]]. He quickly establishes himself to be a [[CloserToEarth voice of reason]] who is quite willing to put himself in danger to save his allies. Unfortunately, that willingness [[DistressedDude gets him captured]]: when a mission in [[VillainWorld Robotropolis]] goes awry, Cat takes it upon himself to direct the [[RobotSoldier SWAT-bots]] away from everyone else... and ends up bound and brought before [[EmperorScientist Doctor]] [[BigBad Robotnik]], who [[WickedCultured politely asks him]] to reveal the location of [[HomeBase Knothole village]]. Cat [[DefiantToTheEnd refuses]], and is [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured]] [[OffscreenVillainy off-screen]]. Sonic manages to track down Cat's jail cell later on, finding him looking the worse for wear. Before he can attempt a rescue, Cat informs him that Robotnik has found [[RoyalBlood Princess]] [[{{Protectorate}} Sally]] - [[RightfulKingReturns the very person they're fighting to put on the throne]]. She's gone off searching for evidence that [[DaddysGirl her Father might still be alive.]] Cat insists that Sonic leave him behind [[UndyingLoyalty because her safety comes first]]. Sonic goes to protect her, promising to return, and he ''does'' - [[YouAreTooLate only to find Cat's cell empty.]]

** [[spoiler: Sarah Lynn]] only had around four episodes where she played an integral role, although her importance in [=BoJack=]'s life made her seem like a very important character, similar to Herb. However, her death was a shock. [[spoiler: In "That's Too Much, Man!," she agreed to go on a six-week bender with [=BoJack=], her ParentalSubstitute and previous TV dad on Horsin' Around. Although she lampshaded the likelihood of her dying young in her first appearance, it was mostly PlayedForLaughs. That being said, her overdose on a brand of heroin, fittingly called [=BoJack=], was PlayedForDrama and certainly rough to watch. It happened right after she seemed to have a HeelFaceTurn as she realized how unhappy fame made her. Sarah Lynn had been wanting to go to the planetarium since they first started their bender and [=BoJack=] finally takes her to one after witnessing her BSOD – heroic or villain is up to interpretation. She reveals that she really only wanted to go because she admires all of the work that goes into constructing domed buildings. The final interaction goes like this:]]
-->[[spoiler: '''Sarah Lynn:''' Isn't it amazing? [...] No, I mean this building. Domed buildings are so cool.]]\\
[[spoiler: '''[=BoJack=]:''' I prefer rectangular buildings, as I've]] [[CallBack firmly established.]]\\
[[spoiler: '''Sarah Lynn:''']] [[FinalWords I want to]] [[CallBack be an]] [[spoiler: architect.]]\\
[[spoiler: '''[=BoJack=] is inspired to dive into existentialism, via the audio and visuals playing before them.''']]\\
[[spoiler: '''[=BoJack=]:''' See, Sarah Lynn, we're not doomed. [...] Right, Sarah Lynn? ''(beat)'' Sarah Lynn? ''(beat)'' ...Sarah Lynn?]]

** [[spoiler: Done a third time in the season premiere of the 2023 reboot where [[TheChessmaster Bowie]] convinces his team that [[MrFanservice Caleb's]] hunky physic means that he could be a threat both physically and manipulativly and that booting him off first could be their only chance of survival, this works.]]

* A non-fatal example on ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama''. : Done in the 2007 season where Heather steals Eva's Walkman so she could inevitably throw a tantrum so that the latter's team could vote her off despite her strength and athleticism proving useful in challenges.
** Done a second time in ''Revenge Of The Island'' where Scott, seeing that Silent B's intelligence could throw a wrench in his manipulation, convinces their team to vote B off, which ends up working.
** [[spoiler: Done a third time in the season premiere of the 2023 reboot where Bowie convinces his team that Caleb's hunky physic means that he could be a threat both physically and manipulativly and that booting him off first could be their only chance of survival, this works.]]

* A non-fatal example on ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama''.: Done in the 2007 season where Heather steals Eva's Walkman so she could inevitably throw a tantrum so that the latter's team could vote her off despite her strength and athleticism proving useful in challenges.

** [[spoiler: Done a third time in season premiere of the 2023 reboot where Bowie convinces his team that Caleb's hunky physic means that he could be a threat both physically and manipulativly and that booting him off first could be their only chance of survival, this works.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TotalDrama'': Done in the 2007 season where Heather steals Eva's Walkman so she could inevitably throw a tantrum so that the latter's team could vote her off despite her strength and athleticism proving useful in challenges.

* WesternAnimation/TotalDrama: Done in the 2007 season where Heather steals Eva's Walkman so she could inevitably throw a tantrum so that the latter's team could vote her off despite her strength and athleticism proving useful in challenges.

* ''Franchise/StarTrek''
** Peter Preston in ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan''. In the Director's Cut, he's introduced as Scotty's young nephew, eager to get into space. He ends up dying horribly in the line of duty when Khan attacks... and Scotty isn't even given time to mourn him, as he has to get back to repairs.

* Morph on the ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' cartoon series, who came BackFromTheDead due to popularity.
* Most of the Monarch's henchmen in ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' only last a single episode before being brutally killed by Brock Sampson or another threat. Only Henchmen 21 and 24 survived all of them until the third season when 24 was killed in an explosion.

Also see the RedShirt, who is not so much a character as he is a practice dummy for the villains, and WeHardlyKnewYe, in which a character is introduced and dies much more quickly with less impact.

* ''Roleplay/DestroyTheGodmodder'': Most of the summons that manage to last a significant amount of time then killed by the latest major threat to demonstrate how dangerous they are. [[{{Kitsune}} Wilson]] managed to Subvert this due to his initial insignificance and neutrality and survives until the end of the game, and [[AuthorAvatar Build]] managed to do likewise.

* Queen Tara from ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}'', who is killed early on to establish just how dangerous the Boggans actually are.

* Art Lean from ''Film/MortalKombat'' mainly existed to show the characters (and the audience) how badass [[MultiArmedAndDangerous Goro]] was (and give Johnny Cage some ''serious'' motivation to kick his four-armed ass) as well as give Shang Tsung a ''major'' KickTheDog moment by [[YourSoulIsMine devouring his soul]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* In Jonathan Hickman's ''Comicbook/NewAvengers'', there are a series of alternate Illuminati who exist just to die to the planetary threats which are menacing 616 Earth.

See also DeadStarWalking and FirstEpisodeResurrection. Related to StuffedIntoTheFridge, DoomedHometown, which are meant to affect the protagonist rather than the audience, and PlayerPunch for the video game version.

* Played completely straight in ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheTempleOfDoom'', which despite being released after ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', is in fact a prequel. In this film, Indy's sidekick gets killed within the first five minutes, but of course since this is chronologically the first Indiana Jones film, the audience never got to know him.

* Creator/DrewBarrymore's casting as Casey from ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}'', who is one of the first ones to die in the movie, gave the first major sequence of the movie some much-needed EmotionalTorque.
* ''Film/StarshipTroopers3Marauder'' actually has an innocent-looking female aide-de-camp called Lamb, who gets [[BigBrotherIsWatching executed for sedition]].

%%* Angie from ''Film/VantagePoint''.
* The tour guide in ''Film/BigGame'', to make Hazar KickTheDog and show that he's a PsychoForHire.
* Sarah from ''Film/LawAbidingCitizen''. Quite upsetting to see since Sarah was one of the nicest and least corrupt characters in the film.
* In ''Film/BattleRoyale'', Fujiyoshi and Nobu are handpicked by Kitano to die first so that their deaths can traumatize the 40 other students into quiet submission. But other than those two, because this is about Japanese children forced into killing each other as a game, most of the characters can be considered sacrificial lambs as many don't even have any dialogue or screen time other than being revealed to be dead or getting killed on-screen.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** ''Film/ANewHope'' has Owen and Beru Lars, Luke's adoptive guardians, who get slaughtered by stormtroopers offscreen to show that the Empire will kill ''anyone'' who's in their way.
** ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' brings in Dack, Luke's gunner. Luke apparently knows him better than we do.
** ''Film/TheLastJedi'' has Rose's sister Paige, who dies during the bomber attack at the very beginning of the movie.

* In ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit'', as part of of his EstablishingCharacterMoment, Judge Doom used a poor, innocent Toon shoe to demonstrate the Toon-killing power of his Dip.

* The movie version of ''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' features Waylon Forge, a character not in the books who apparently merely exists to have the movies show the vampires actually killing someone.

* ''Film/{{Elysium}}'': Alas, poor [[spoiler:Julio]], they hardly knew ye.
* Sandra Brody dies in the first fifteen minutes of ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'' due to severe radiation poisoning.
* Ben Talbot from ''Film/TheWolfman2010''.

* ''Film/TheHungerGames'': Several tributes are seen being threatened/killed both on-screen and off, such as the curly-haired teenager who hides in the Cornucopia before getting sliced by Cato when he tries to escape. [[spoiler:Rue and Foxface]] could also be a case of this.
* Sarah in ''Film/{{Hush}}''
* The only reason [[spoiler:Slipknot]] of ''Film/SuicideSquad2016'' is in the movie seems to be to show that [[spoiler: Waller wasn't bluffing about the [[ExplosiveLeash implanted bombs]].]]

* Amelia, one of the two candidates who's nice to [[TheHero Eggsy]], from ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'' exists solely to show that the training for new Kingsmen really is dangerous and can cost lives. [[spoiler:Except it isn't and she was really [[InvokedTrope a plant from the Kingsmen themselves]], precisely to give the other candidates the impetus to try as hard as possible]].
* ''Film/MrNiceGuy'' opens with Demons member Gina (Tina in the international version) being beaten and BuriedAlive in TheMafia's "guest house".
* Cummings in ''Film/ArmyOfTheDead'' is a walking HateSink, a power-tripping rapist security guard who exploits his position of authority at the refugee camp to force the women there to have sex with him. In fact, Lily recruited him into the CaperCrew specifically for this purpose, to have somebody who nobody would miss to sacrifice to [[MonsterLord Zeus]] and his alpha zombies so that the rest of the crew can progress deeper into the Vegas Strip without being disturbed.
* In ''Film/Blade1998'', Karen's ex-boyfriend has a brief bit of banter with her in the morgue to establish him as an alright guy just before a skinless vampire rips his jugular out and attacks Karen. His death propels Karen into the plot and gives the audience a real taste of how brutal vampires can be.

* Lady Mirum from ''Literature/DragonsOfRequiem''. She's killed off in the second chapter (and in her POV chapter, no less) right after the story makes her seem like she'd be a main character. After she dies, the next chapter shifts over to one of the ''real'' main characters, Kyrie Eleison.

* Queen Tara from ''WesternAnimation/{{Epic}}''.

* ''ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'': Legionnaire Blok was brought back solely to be killed by Roxxas the Butcher and push the Legion to reform during the early days of the Five Years Later continuity, although Blok was a character who had been created a decade before his death.

* Angie from ''Film/VantagePoint''.