History Main / ShootTheBuilder

* Chapo Guzmán's drug trafficking tunnels that go under the US border are allegedly built by slaves who are then killed for the sake secrecy.

* Goldeneyes Silverhand Dactylos from ''Discworld/TheColourOfMagic'', who is maimed by various employers (yes, [[BlackComedy multiple]] [[ButtMonkey times]])to stop him creating anything more beautiful and eventually shot.

* Goldeneyes Silverhand Dactylos from ''Discworld/TheColourOfMagic'', who is maimed by various employers to stop him creating anything more beautiful and eventually shot.

->''"You see that? That's a Bentley Mark XII. They gave one to me, one to StevenSpielberg, then they ''shot'' the guy who made it!"''

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* In the film of ''{{Film/Watchmen}}'', all the scientists involved in the reactor/energy weapon are killed and then vaporized.

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* ''[[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Knights of the Old Republic]]'': The description for Calo Nord's battle armour says that he killed the craftsman who made it for him in order to appease his ego, ensuring the armour would always be unique.

* ''{{Cryptonomicon}}:'' The final step in the WW-II Japanese plan to build a super-secret underground vault for their plundered wealth was to flood it with water, with all of their slave labour sealed up inside along with all the gold. Fortunately for some of the workers, one of their leaders knew what was coming, and designed in a back-door escape route.

* It's been mentioned in ''{{Shadowrun}}'' supplements that the best way to keep a new computer system secret is to kill the designer after he's finished creating it.

* In ''Discworld/SmallGods'', the narration states that the labyrinth creators were most likely murdered.

* Goldeneyes Silverhand Dactylos from ''Discworld/TheColourOfMagic'', who is maimed by various employees to stop him creating anything more beautiful and eventually shot.

* ''{{Cryptonomicon}}'' The final step in the WW-II Japanese plan to build a super-secret underground vault for their plundered wealth was to flood it with water, with all of their slave labour sealed up inside along with all the gold. Fortunately for some of the workers, one of their leaders knew what was coming, and designed in a back-door escape route.

* ''TheSpyWhoLovedMe''. After the two scientists create the submarine tracking system for Stromberg, he has them murdered.

* Partly subverted in the first ''GodOfWar'': The architect of Pandora's Temple, Pathos Verdes III, commits suicide by despair after building the temple (which cost him both his sons and later his wife). Played straight in the third game, where Zeus chained Daedalus away when he completes the Labyrinth. In Greek Mythology, Daedalus and his son were sealed inside the Labyrinth by Minos for the reasons mentioned in the description, but they got away with that.

* According to legend, the workers who built the labyrinths into the pyramids in Egypt were killed when they were finished with the construction.

* Goldeneyes Silverhand Dactylos from ''TheColourOfMagic'', who is maimed by various employees to stop him creating anything more beautiful and eventually shot.

-->--'''Successmanship 101 Teacher''', ''TheSimpsons''

So you've created your ultimate weapon of terror/fortress of doom/super secret thing. One problem, somebody had to build/design this thing; what happens if he talks? Simple solution: have them all killed! Your secrets will be safe and he can't build another one.

* {{Subverted}} by king Minos and Daedalus from ClassicalMythology. King only locked famous architect away, because he still wanted to use his talent. Even when Daedalus advised Ariadne the best way to help Theseus, Minos didn't kill him, but imprisoned in the labyrinth. Some versions of this myth suggest, that Minos spared Dedalus' life, not only because of his talent, but also frienship they shared.

* The EvilOverlordListCellblockB mentions this in item #212.

* The nuclear engineer in TomClancy's novel about a nuke going off during the Super Bowl was killed by the terrorists as soon as they believed the bomb was finished.

* Though only temporary, killing the Engineer in ''TeamFortress2'' can allow the opposing team to get through some choke points easier, making him a second target like [[ShootTheMedicFirst the Medic]].

* {{Subverted}} by king Minos and Daedalus from ClassicalMythology. King only locked famous architect away, because he still wanted to use his talent. Even when Daedalus advised Ariadne the best way to help Theseus, Minos didn't kill him, but imprisoned in the labyrinth.

* [[http://www.cracked.com/article_18968_5-reasons-there-must-be-corpses-buried-under-batcave.html This]] {{Cracked}} article features an inversion, as it theorises that {{Batman}} would have had to kill the workers who helped to build the Batcave.

* In the original ''PhantomOfTheOpera'' book, the person who hired Erik to be his architect tries to do this. Doesn't work.