History Main / SelfImmolation

* The Minbari Starfire Wheel in ''Series/BabylonFive'', as described in the trope quote.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homa_Darabi Doctor Homa Darabi]] burned herself in the middle of Tajrish Square to protest the law of compulsory hijab enacted by the new Islamic government, which previously forced her to shut her pediatric practice.

[[caption-width-right:270:[[VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas "The fire within me burned brighter than the fire around me."]]]]

* In the "Manga/DeathNote" spin-off light novel "LightNovel/AnotherNote", the serial killer Beyond Birthday [[spoiler: a.k.a Ryuzaki]] attempts this to make himself appear to be one of his murder victims (to hide that there was no posthumous mutilation on his corpse, as there were on the other victims), hoping to make the case [[ThanatosGambit unsolvable for L]] by forcing him to chase a killer [[SuspectExistenceFailure who no longer exists]]. It may also have been a sort of protest, as he was ''angry'' with L for ignoring him (and for putting his friend through such a rigorous program that said friend committed suicide.) Thanks to Naomi's [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome fire extinguisher]], however, [[MyGreatestFailure it doesn't end the way he intended]].

-->-- '''Delenn''', ''Series/BabylonFive''

->''"Those who did not deserve to rule, who would not sacrifice themselves...as they asked others to do on their behalf, would escape the fire. The sacrifice of the one who remained...who believed so much in his caste that he would lay down his life for them...that would determine which caste would be dominant among us."''

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

[[folder: Comic Books ]]
* Franchise/{{Superman}} does this at the end of ''ComicBook/SupermanAtEarthsEnd''.

-->'''Brian:''' Then Kreed the Second had an –ahem- unfortunate mishap after entering that firewalking contest down at Blind Man's Pavilion…\\

[[folder: Live-Action TV ]]
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''. In "Becoming, Part One", a cloaked vampire sent by Angelus turns up in Buffy's classroom in broad daylight, removes her shawl and declares, "Tonight. Sundown. At the graveyard..." before beginning to smoke. "You will come to him or more will DIE!" The female vamp then explodes into flames, all the while pointing accusingly at Buffy, who later dubs it an "immolation-o-gram."

-->"Who put gasoline in my gasoline?!"

* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': "My Name Is Mac Taylor" had a guy who threatened this because he was despondent over the hit and run death of his girlfriend. He'd been hunting for the driver, causing trouble because he only knew the person's name was Mac Taylor and had killed two other Macs in the process. Fortunately, he was prevented from succeeding. [[note]]At least temporarily. His fate is actually ambiguous due to the ep ending with him having just been taken to the hospital in critical condition.[[/note]]

* In the ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' episode [[Recap/SupernaturalS02E05SimonSaid "Simon Said" (Sp2, Ep05)]], Holly Becker sets herself on fire at the gas station.

* ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'': In "Alien Radio," Eldon [=DeVries=] covers himself in gasoline and sets himself on fire in front of Stan Harbinger after he realizes that there is an alien living inside of him.

-->"Just kidding. I'm fine. I'm fine. Just a little fire".

[[folder: Professional Wrestling]]

---> "Just kidding. I'm fine. I'm fine. Just a little fire".

* As noted above, this is (or was) standard practice in many places in Asia. The purpose varies, ranging from the logical end of religious devotion or an extreme act of political protest. this occurs even in areas whose religion views suicide as a sin, like the [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Muslim]] world.[[note]]Yes, contrary to what some people believe, Islam does see suicide as a sin. A very grave sin. It's in fact stated in one simple sentence in Literature/TheQuran - Q.S 4:29: "And do not kill yourselves, surely God is most Merciful to you." Any self-identifying Muslim who believes it to be the contrary means he just disregarded the Quran. [[/note]]
* Happens terrifyingly often in post-1979 Revolution UsefulNotes/{{Iran}}, apparently cheap gasoline + [[FateWorseThanDeath horror stories]] surrounding the consequences of all non-suicidal protest methods = many public displays of people burning to death. Most cases are young men protesting the mandatory military service laws, but there are also women who did this to protest for their rights.
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homa_Darabi Doctor Homa Darabi]] was a particularly tragic case. She burned herself in the middle of Tajrish Square to protest the law of compulsory hijab enacted by the new Islamic government, which previously forced her to shut her pediatric practice.
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Sahar_Khodayari Sahar Khodayari]] aka the "Blue Girl" chose this as an alternative to going back to prison. Her crime? Sneaking into football games. Yes, seriously. She had to disguise herself as a boy to get into the stadium, she was thrown in prison for it and it was so awful it would come to this.
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Quang_Duc Thich Quang Duc,]] a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, set himself alight to protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government of Ngô Đình Diệm, a devout Catholic who discriminated against anyone who wasn't (i.e. 90% of the country's population). A very famous photo was taken of the incident, winning the photographer and the journalist who wrote the accompanying article Pulitzer prizes. The photo has featured in a number of places, including the cover of a Music/RageAgainstTheMachine album. Several other protesters followed his example (see Website/{{Wikipedia}} [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_self-immolations list of political self-immolations]]). The man remained perfectly calm and in a state of deep concentration while he effectively killed himself. When his remains were collected, it was found out that, though his body turned to ashes, his heart stayed intact, which Buddhists saw as a miracle and a symbol of compassion. As noted by William Colby, the CIA's Far East Division chief at the time, the act basically spelled the beginning of the end of UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar.
-->''[Ngô Đình Diệm] handled the Buddhist crisis fairly badly and allowed it to grow. But I really don't think there was much they could have done about it once that bonze burned himself.''

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Palach Jan Palach]], a Czech student, who committed suicide by self-immolation in 1969 as a protest against the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, followed by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Zaj%C3%ADc Jan Zajíc]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ev%C5%BEen_Plocek Evžen Plocek]].
* Inspired by Palach, Sándor Bauer, a 17-year old Hungarian car mechanic apprentice set himself on fire in 1969 to protest the Soviet occuptation of Hungary.
* UsefulNotes/TheArabSpring--which lead to dictators falling in UsefulNotes/{{Tunisia}}, UsefulNotes/{{Egypt}}, UsefulNotes/{{Libya}}, and UsefulNotes/{{Yemen}}, as well as to massive protests and widespread attempts at reform across the UsefulNotes/ArabWorld, and even to civil wars in Libya, UsefulNotes/{{Syria}}, and Yemen--all originally began with [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi one Tunisian man, Mohamed Bouazizi]] lighting himself on fire in response to the police confiscating his fruit cart too many times.
* The practice of Sati/Suttee in UsefulNotes/{{India}} was sometimes a voluntary act on the part of a sincerely heartbroken widow hoping to join her husband in death... though it was often more like forced immolation imposed by her in-laws, generally [[FinancialAbuse to snatch the poor woman's share of the inheritance.]] The act was documented to have been practiced up to the late 20th century and it took several governments to pass laws banning it outright.
** According to one tale, some Rajputs were besieged by Marathas. One Rajput warrior, deciding [[DespairEventHorizon victory was hopeless]], left his post to see to the safety of his wife. When he arrived, he saw his wife had set herself on fire to drive him back to his post, by making it clear he had nothing left to lose.
** An extreme version of sati was jauhar, in which women on the losing side of a war committed mass suicide by immolation to prevent themselves from seeing the horrors of RapePillageAndBurn. Basically, BetterToDieThanBeKilled.
* Since UsefulNotes/{{Tibet}} was invaded by UsefulNotes/{{China}}, many young monks and nuns have been committing self-immolation to protest the occupation. Most of them have been under 35.
* Was once widespread in UsefulNotes/{{Russia}} among the Old Believers. The Old Believers appeared as a result of the Great Schism of Russian [[UsefulNotes/OrthodoxChristianity Orthodox Church]] (The Russian Reformation).
* Some TooDumbToLive teenagers set themselves on fire and videotape it as a "stunt," underestimating how flammable the accelerants they've used are, and/or how quickly that level of heat compromises breathing. They also may not be aware that real stunt performers generally use special protective clothing under their costumes and a flammable jelly rather than liquid gasoline. ''Many'' of them are no longer with us, and many more have been left with permanently disabling or disfiguring injuries. Setting yourself on fire for the fun of it can ''end badly;'' [[SarcasmMode who knew?]]
* Some accounts about the death of UsefulNotes/OdaNobunaga's rival [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matsunaga_Hisahide Matsunaga Hisahide]] say that he committed {{seppuku}} when cornered in his Shigisan castle. Others said that he killed himself like this.
* Creator/RichardPryor's daughter Rain speculated that her dad [[ManOnFire setting himself alight and running down the street while on fire]] was a deliberate suicide attempt -- though the official police report attributed it to cocaine freebasing gone wrong, and Pryor himself chalked it up to an accident involving burning rum.
%%* Anti-gay ex-pastor Rick Scarborough made headlines for threatening to set himself on fire if gay marriage were legalized. After much speculation and mockery, [[JustJokingJustification he backtracked]] and claimed he only meant a 'spiritual' burning.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thich_Quang_Duc Thich Quang Duc,]] a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, set himself alight to protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government of Ngô Đình Diệm, a devout Catholic who discriminated against anyone who wasn't (i.e. 90% of the country's population). A very famous photo was taken of the incident, winning the photographer and the journalist who wrote the accompanying article Pulitzer prizes. The photo has featured in a number of places, including the cover of a Music/RageAgainstTheMachine album. Several other protesters followed his example (see Wiki/{{Wikipedia}} [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_self-immolations list of political self-immolations]]). The man remained perfectly calm and in a state of deep concentration while he effectively killed himself. When his remains were collected, it was found out that, though his body turned to ashes, his heart stayed intact, which Buddhists saw as a miracle and a symbol of compassion. As noted by William Colby, the CIA's Far East Division chief at the time, the act basically spelled the beginning of the end of UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar.

* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': "My Name Is Mac Taylor" had a guy who threatened this because he was despondent over the hit and run death of his girlfriend. He'd been hunting for the driver, causing trouble because he only knew the person's name was Mac Taylor and had killed two other Macs in the process. Fortunately, he was prevented from succeeding.
** At least temporarily. His fate is actually ambiguous due to the ep ending with him having just been taken to the hospital in critical condition.

* ''Series/WhatWeDoInTheShadows'': In "Gail", energy vampire Colin Robinson sets himself on fire with gasoline to prank Laszlo, revealing that he is in fact [[ImmuneToFire immune to it]].

* In Creator/HPLovecraft's "Facts Concerning the Later Arthur Jermyn and His Family", the title character burns himself to death with lamp oil after discovering [[spoiler:that his great-great-great-grandmother was a gorilla, due to bestiality by his explorer great-great-great-grandfather]].

-->'''Brian:''' Then Kreed the Second had an –ahem- unfortunate mishap after entering that fire walking contest down at Blind Man's Pavilion…\\

* Parodied (of course) in ''Film/{{Airplane}}'', where Ted's boring stories cause people to want to kill themselves. A turbaned man douses himself with some flammable liquid, and lights a match, but just then Ted finishes the story as he was being called to the cockpit and leaves. The man puts out the match, sighs in relief... and ''Whooomph!''.
* In the movie ''Film/AngelsAndDemons'', [[spoiler: Carlo Ventresca]], after it's discovered that he murdered the Pope, planted the bomb and murdered the three Cardinals, runs St. Peter's basillica, pours candle oil on himself and lights it.

* The main character in the film ''Film/{{Dagon}}'' attempts to kill himself by this method after learning that his family hailed from to the [[FishPeople town of Imboca]]. It doesn't take, however, as he is pushed into a nearby pool to douse the flames.

* Denethor in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings''. "Bring wood and oil." In the original book he burns in the tomb where he's built his pyre, but in Creator/PeterJackson's film version he runs out of the tomb and across the courtyard while still burning so that he can throw himself off the front of the rock prow overlooking the battlefield. Director's commentary made note of the distance but admitted [[RuleOfCool he really wanted the shot of Denethor falling from the pinnacle.]]

* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': "My Name Is Mac Taylor" had a guy who threatened this because he was despondent over the hit and run death of his girlfriend. He'd been hunting for the driver, causing trouble because he only knew the person's name was Mac Taylor, and had killed two other Macs in the process. Fortunately, he was prevented from succeeding.

* In the second episode of ''Series/YGwyll'', Eric Roberts, the former owner of an abandoned farming estate called Talygroes, burned his own barn after discovering that three escaped German [=POWs=] had taken shelter there (during the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo second World War]]). The neighboring landowner, who longed to buy up Talygroes, learned about this and used that information to blackmail Roberts into giving his land away piece by piece over the next twenty odd years for free. In the present time, Roberts' grandson murders the elderly son of that neighboring landowner under the false promise of regaining Talygroes, and when cornered by the police, [[DeathByIrony burns himself alive along with the Talygroes farmhouse]].

* ''Series/MajorCrimes'': In "Penalty Phase," the killer of week douses himself in petrol and plans to go out in a blaze of glory when Major Crimes catch up to him. Sanchez manages to tackle him into a swimming pool just after he ignites himself.

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

-->'''Chef''': In the 1960's there was a monk who set himself on fire to protest! You have left me no choice! To protest your lack of humanity, I will now do the same thing!\\

[[folder: Real Life ]]
* As noted above, this is (or was) a standard practice in many places in Asia. The purpose varies, ranging from the logical end of religious devotion or an extreme act of political protest. this occurs even in areas whose religion views suicide as a sin, like the [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Muslim]] world.[[note]]Yes, contrary to what some people believe, Islam does see suicide as a sin. A very grave sin. It's in fact stated in one simple sentence in Literature/TheQuran - Q.S 4:29: "And do not kill yourselves, surely God is most Merciful to you." Any self-identifying Muslim who believes it to be the contrary means he just disregarded the Quran. [[/note]]

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Palach Jan Palach]], a Czech student, who committed suicide by self-immolation in 1969 as a protest to Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, followed by [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Zaj%C3%ADc Jan Zajíc]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ev%C5%BEen_Plocek Evžen Plocek]].

** According to one tale, some Rajputs were besieged by Marathas. One Rajput warrior, deciding [[DespairEventHorizon victory was hopeless]], left his post to see to the safety of his wife. When he arrived he saw his wife had set herself on fire to drive him back to his post, by making it clear he had nothing left to lose.

* Some TooDumbToLive teenagers set themselves on fire and videotape it as a "stunt," underestimating how flammable the accelerants they've used are, and/or how quickly that level of heat compromises breathing. They also may not be aware that real stunt performers generally use special protective clothing under their costumes, and a flammable jelly rather than liquid gasoline. ''Many'' of them are no longer with us, and many more have been left permanently disabling or disfiguring injuries. Setting yourself on fire for the fun of it can ''end badly;'' [[SarcasmMode who knew?]]

* The second season of ''Series/{{Trapped}}'' begins with a financially-troubled farmer and far-right-wing activist attempting to assassinate the Minister for Industry (who is also his sister) by burning both of them alive in the street outside her office. He dies and she survives.

** Doctor Homa Darabi[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homa_Darabi]] was a particularly tragic case. She burned herself in the middle of Tajrish Square to protest the law of compulsory hijab enacted by the new Islamic government, which previously forced her to shut her pediatric practice.
** Sahar Khodayari[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Sahar_Khodayari]] aka the "Blue Girl" chose this as an alternative to going back to prison. Her crime? Sneaking into football games. Yes, seriously. She had to disguise herself as a boy to get into the stadium, she was thrown in prison for it and it was so awful it would come to this.