History Main / SuicideMission

* This plays a large part as to why the main protagonists of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', and implied to be many past defenders of Remnant, have turned against or became disillusioned with Ozpin. [[spoiler: He had been keeping a devastating secret that his enemy and former wife [[BigBad Salem]] was in fact, completely immortal, and thus couldn't be killed off in order to end her secret reign of terror over the world. That in itself is pretty bad, but what makes it worse is the revelation that Ozpin doesn't have the slightest idea ''how'' to truly stop her, and has basically been sending an endless wave of Remnants' guardians and protectors to only prolong the war they've been stuck in for centuries. [[DespairEventHorizon This revelation of their goal being impossible and essentially nothing more than an endless suicide mission nearly drives Team Remnant to despair.]]]]

* In ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'', the worst DownerEnding consists of V deciding that [[YourDaysAreNumbered saving him/herself]] isn't worth having other people die, and they want to experience the end with [[VirtualGhost Johnny]] rather than a slow breakdown; so they sit back, look over the city, and shoot themselves in the head. However, a secret variant of this ending exists where instead of shooting themselves, Johnny suggests they instead perform the raid on [[EvilInc Arasaka]] alone. It is possible to succeed on this route, but extremely difficult.

* From ''Anime/LegendOfGalacticHeroes'', the first time Yang Wen-Li is sent [[spoiler:to capture Iselhorn fortress]], it was in fact a suicide mission given by superiors who wanted to get rid of him.

* ''Film/DeepImpact'': The crew of the spaceship ''Messiah'' assign themselves one last mission, well aware of the fact that when the remaining nuclear bombs are detonated inside the larger comet fragment they will destroyed as well.

* ''Film/BlackCrab''. In a future Sweden torn by CivilWar, Creator/NoomiRapace is chosen along with five other soldiers to ice-skate across a frozen sea at night through enemy-held territory to deliver a SecretWeapon that could win the war. She openly tells her commander it's a suicide mission, so he gives her an extra incentive to succeed--her daughter who's been missing since the start of the war has been found in a refugee camp and is waiting for her at their destination. [[spoiler:She loses most of her squad and cripples herself getting there, only to find it was a MotivationalLie to give her the HeroicWillpower to succeed.]]

* ''Manga/HunterXHunter'': It's all but stated the Palace Invasion is a suicide mission since the Extermination Team, except for Gon who's still holding hope to save Kite, knows know they don't hold a candle against any of the Royal Guards and Netero even presumes everyone should have died by the time he faces the king. Killua even resigns himself for this and implies he's [[TogetherInDeath ready to die by Gon's side once they face Pitou.]] [[spoiler: Ironically, only Netero died but Palm became a Chimera Ant and Gon almost died from his [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique Nen Vow]] and has to be saved by Alluka.]]

* In ''Series/{{Chernobyl}}'', Legasov requests 3 volunteers to drain the waters in the basement of the plant, promising promotion and 400 rubles bonus per year. None of the workers present want to do it, knowing that it's certain death, until Scherbina interjects with a RousingSpeech that it ''must'' be done, or else ''millions'' will die. Three brave souls volunteer, and like their real life counterparts, miraculously survive.

* In ''WebAnimation/IfTheEmperorHadATextToSpeechDevice'', the Emperor sends Ultramarines to recover nigh-PhysicalGod Magnus from the middle of his daemon-filled kingdom. He knows they are going to fail, but has enough of their {{Mary Sue}}iness. [[spoiler:To his surprise, they actually succeed.]]

* ''The Heavy Water War''. The [[Codename Grouse]] team notes that the commandoes they're doing reconnaissance for can't be expected to survive, as their escape would involve making their way to Sweden in heavy snow despite lacking skies. As it turns out their gliders crash in bad weather and the survivors are summarily executed by the Nazis. The second team ''is'' equipped with snow and made up of native Norwegians, but even they are expected to attack across a narrow and well-guarded bridge with obvious consequences for their chances of retreat. Fortunately one of them figures out a way to infiltrate across the ravine instead.

-->''' Major Neuheim:''' [[HypocriticalHumor How DARE you come back alive!]]

To be clear, a Suicide Mission is ''not'' (always) UnwinnableByDesign. There are times when an important task must be attempted without regard for [[WellIntentionedExtremist the safety of those undertaking it]]. A goal must be accomplished, even if the entire team has to die to do it. Neither is it a SuicideAttack; it does not explicitly demand a HeroicSacrifice from the get-go. Victory and a successful return home is possible, [[OneInAMillionChance just very unlikely]].

* ''Film/ArmyOfTheDead'': Las Vegas has been devastated by a ZombieApocalypse. A team of mercenaries ventures there for a heist on a vault, while the place is still brimming with hordes of zombies, which turn out to be [[ItCanThink surprisingly smart, agile and organized]].

* In the last book of ''{{Literature/Animorphs}}'' Jake orders Rachael on this as a mission to kill his brother Tom during the final stage of the war.

* ''Film/ArmyOfTheDead'': Las Vegas has been devastated by a ZombieApocalypse. A team of mercenaries ventures there for a heist on a vault, while the place is still brimming with hordes of zombies.

* In ''Manga/{{Claymore}}'', the organization in charge of Claymores sends them on suicide missions whenever they become too dangerous. Possibly justified to avoid {{Super Power Meltdown}}s.
** ...except that they also do it to anyone [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness too weak to be useful]], [[RebelliousSpirit too rebellious to be controllable]], or [[HeKnowsTooMuch too suspicious]] [[TheMasquerade to be kept in the dark]].

[[folder:Fan Fic]]

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'''s Commander Kubrik Chenkov of the Imperial Guard makes every mission for his troops a Suicide Mission, throwing his men to their deaths against hardened defenses ([[YouHaveFailedMe and shooting any who fail to comply]]) until the enemy's all dead as a matter of course. He has managed to get an actually good track record in specific manners of speaking with such a "strategy" by defeating the enemy quickly and/or with minimal advanced support.

* In an unusually FamilyUnfriendlyAesop for the series, one episode of ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' reveals that the secret key element of the Starfleet "Bridge Officer's Test" holodeck simulation is requiring the candidate to show their willingness to order a subordinate to expose themselves to a lethal dose of radiation in order to make a repair that will save the lives of the rest of the crew.