History Main / SuicideMission

The members of the mission will usually be [[RedShirt expendables,]] [[BoxedCrook criminals,]] {{Death Seeker}}s, [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits assorted misfits,]] or [[HeroicSacrifice selfless heroes for the greater good.]] Expect AnyoneCanDie to be invoked throughout the mission, DwindlingParty, and, eventually, either SoleSurvivor for anyone who manages to survive or a DownerEnding if nobody does. If the characters repeatedly survive these missions, they might be SurprisinglyEliteCannonFodder.

* In ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutronBoyGenius'', Carl is concerned by Jimmy's plan to use his faulty rocketship to fight the Yolkians; "Okay, so me, you, and a dog are gonna battle an alien civilization, right? By ourselves? The last time we tried this, we couldn't even break free of the atmosphere."

* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' serial ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoS10E4PlanetOfTheDaleks Planet of the Daleks]]''. When Jo points out the Thals can escape using the Dalek ship, the Thal she talks to is afraid that will make them hesitate when they are needed.

[[caption-width-right:350:Shoot for the comet. Even if you miss, you'll land on the m— oh crap!]]

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[[caption-width-right:636:The undiscovered chessboard [[Creator/WilliamShakespeare from whose bourn no traveller returns.]][[note]][[Creator/PeterLorre "Great poet."]][[/note]]]]

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* [[TheHero Saito]], from ''Literature/TheFamiliarOfZero''. Originally assigned to [[LoveInterest Louise]], Saito steals the mission from her by drugging the wine they used in their wedding, and then handing her sleeping body off to an ally. The Suicide Mission involved [[YouShallNotPass taking on]] the entire, 60,000 strong Albion army. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome He holds]] [[DyingMomentOfAwesome them up]] [[OneManArmy for four hours.]]

* Spike goes on one of these in the final episode of ''Anime/CowboyBebop'', StormingTheCastle to kill longtime rival Vicious. Spike does manage to kill Vicious, but Spike also [[ShrugOfGod probably]] dies in the attempt, collapsing from his wounds on a set of stairs, complete with a PanUpToTheSkyEnding.

* [[TheHero Saito]], from ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero''. Originally assigned to [[LoveInterest Louise]], Saito steals the mission from her by drugging the wine they used in their wedding, and then handing her sleeping body off to an ally. The Suicide Mission involved [[YouShallNotPass taking on]] the entire, 60,000 strong Albion army. [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome He holds]] [[DyingMomentOfAwesome them up]] [[OneManArmy for four hours.]]

* ''The Heavy Water War'': The [[CodeName Grouse]] team notes that the commandoes they're doing reconnaissance for can't be expected by London to survive, as their escape would involve making their way to Sweden in heavy snow without skiing equipment. 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 skis and made up of native Norwegians, but even they are expected to attack across a narrow and well-guarded bridge, blow up their target then somehow retreat across the bridge with every German soldier alerted to their presence. Fortunately one of them figures out a way to infiltrate across the ravine instead.

* 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 depending on the player, or else it leads to a SuddenDownerEnding.

* 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.

* ''Series/AlteredCarbon''. After going on the run Takeshi and his sister Reileen are taken under the protection of Quellcrist Falconer and her Envoy insurgents. However when the Envoys are going to launch a suicide mission including her brother (who is entirely willing to go along with this), Reileen betrays them all to the authorities to protect him.
* ''The Heavy Water War''. The [[CodeName Grouse]] team notes that the commandoes they're doing reconnaissance for can't be expected by London to survive, as their escape would involve making their way to Sweden in heavy snow without skiing equipment. 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 skis and made up of native Norwegians, but even they are expected to attack across a narrow and well-guarded bridge, blow up their target then somehow retreat across the bridge with every German soldier alerted to their presence. Fortunately one of them figures out a way to infiltrate across the ravine instead.

* The six Warriors of Cosmos in ''[[VideoGame/DissidiaFinalFantasy Dissidia 012 Duodecim]]'' who didn't appear in the 13th cycle of the conflict (being [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Kain]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Tifa]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII Laguna]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyX Yuna]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII Vaan]] and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII Lightning]]) give themselves to cut off the source of Chaos' [[UncannyValley Manikins]] that had been overwhelming their side, so that the remaining ten would stand a fighting chance in the next cycle. Whether they actually ''died'' or were simply freed from the cycle of conflict isn't totally clear, but they all acknowledge that, in doing this, they wouldn't be part of the next cycle, for better or worse. [[spoiler:''Dissidia NT'' makes it clear that they simply weren't revived for the final cycle: they get pulled back to the world and seem none the worse for wear.]]

** This is the only reason the Covenant rank of Arbiter even exists; at moments of extraordinary crisis, the Prophets will pick a disgraced Elite with a distinguished combat record to become the Arbiter, and send him on suicide missions of great importance so that he can regain his honor upon death (if he ''doesn't'' die, he just gets more difficult suicide missions). Unusually for this trope, the Arbiters are generally held in high regard by the rest of the Covenant, likely due to the fact the Elites in question [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority often were some of the most high-ranked and skilled members of the Covenant before their disgrace]]: Being chosen as Arbiter essentially means they ''had'' to have badass credentials, because they were still expected to fulfill the mission, regardless of whether they lived or died (often death was a ''direct'' result of the mission's success). Of course, most Elites believe [[HonorBeforeReason honor is more important than life itself]], so it was a very effective system.

* As mentioned in the ''300'' example, the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae Battle of Thermopylae]], which pitted 300 Spartans and their allies against the massive Persian Army to buy time for Athens to prepare defenses. Unfortunately they didn't buy the Athenians enough time, leading to the necessity of another suicide mission, the naval [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Salamis Battle of Salamis]].

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': The Malon travel on ships with poor anti-radiation shielding looking for a LandfillBeyondTheStars to dump toxic waste. Core labourers work directly around the core and are exposed to most radiation, making almost every trip only of these for them. Only three out of ten survive a standard waste-dumping mission. For this reason they get paid ten times as much, with the money going to their families if they die.

There are numerous reasons for a Suicide Mission to be ordered. [[CorneredRattlesnake Perhaps the situation]] is [[DarkestHour truly dire]], [[LastStand the line must be held]], and the advancing enemy [[YouShallNotPass must be stopped]]. Alternately, GeneralRipper may believe [[WeHaveReserves it's an acceptable tactic]], or ColonelKilgore sets one up to [[TheUriahGambit eliminate a nuisance]]. A general that doesn't fall into the above categories will often be humanized by asking the Commander of the mission rather than ordering.

The members of the mission will usually be [[RedShirt expendables,]] [[BoxedCrook criminals,]] {{Death Seeker}}s, [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits assorted misfits,]] or [[HeroicSacrifice selfless heroes for the greater good.]] Expect AnyoneCanDie to be invoked throughout the mission, DwindlingParty, and, eventually, either SoleSurvivor for anyone who manages to survive or KillEmAll if nobody does. If the characters repeatedly survive these missions, they might be SurprisinglyEliteCannonFodder.

* The plan to secure the Death Star schematics in ''Film/RogueOne'' is deemed one, and is actually ''rejected'' by the Alliance leadership as hopeless. Jyn Erso and a handful of volunteers go anyway, forcing the Alliance's hand, and initiating the Battle of Scarif. [[spoiler:Most of the volunteers die getting the plans and broadcasting them to the rebels; [[KillEmAll the few survivors are killed when the Death Star shows up and wipes out the whole base]].]]