History Main / SurvivedTheBeginning

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'''Warning: As a DeathTrope, spoilers abound.'''

[[AC:Web Comics]]

* ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'': In [[Recap/FateGrandOrderS1E0TheFlameContaminatedCityFuyuki "The Flame-Contaminated City Fuyuki"]], Olga Marie Animusphere is built up as a major character as the director of Chaldea. However, she gets unceremoniously killed off by the explosion and later permanently disposed of by Professor Lev. The fact that TheProtagonist is the only available Master that survives it's quite the PlotPoint. Only the player character can unravel the mystery behind the explosion, bond with Servants, and accomplish the task Chaldea was built for in the first place.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'': Kawalsky seems set up to be a main character, as the [[Recap/StargateSG1S1E1ChildrenOfTheGods first episode]]'s narrative follows him trying to unravel the mystery of the Abydos Stargate. Come the second, [[Recap/StargateSG1S1E2TheEnemyWithin "The Enemy Within"]], and is revealed that everyone that went to Abydos has contracted a hijacking virus. Kawalsky sets the base to self-destruct, killing several cast members. Only Carter and Daniel remain.

* ''Series/TheLastManOnEarth'': The first episode takes place two years after a virus apparently destroyed all life on Earth, with Phil Miller as the only survivor. Gradually, other survivors appear and join Phil, forming a little community.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'': Kawalsky seems set up to be a main character but dies at the end of the second episode.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Half the Linear Guild was lost the first time they met the [=OotS=] gang, in [[A whole goblin raiding party is wiped out killing many, many characters in [[Recap/TheOrderOfTheStickDungeonCrawlinFools "Dungeon Crawlin' Fools"]]. Since then, the three survivors have consistently made it away while their newer members tend to get PutOnABus or killed. (Though other characters have not been so lucky, notably poor Miko. And even [Nale and Zzdri, one of the three aforementioned survivors plus another original member who [[TheBusCameBack came back]], have bought it lately.)

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Half the Linear Guild was lost the first time they met the [=OotS=] gang. Since then, the three survivors have consistently made it away while their newer members tend to get PutOnABus or killed. (Though other characters have not been so lucky, notably poor Miko. And even [Nale and Zzdri, one of the three aforementioned survivors plus another original member who [[TheBusCameBack came back]], have bought it lately.)

* ''Anime/OutlawStar'': "Hot Ice" Hilda appears to be an important character at the beginning of the show. Unfortunately, [[spoiler: her ship is destroyed while being pursued by pirates. She tries to use a cable wire to pull herself to Gene Starwind's ship, but it just so happens to snap at the last minute. As she floats into the nearest sun, she leaves TheProtagonist with the parting words, "Outlaws never go down easy, no matter what happens to them."]]

* ''Film/MissionImpossible1996'': In the opening, Ethan Hunt's whole team is killed off, including characters played by big-name actors Jon Voight, Kristin Scott-Thomas, & Emilio Estevez. [[spoiler: Voight got better]], but you don't find that out until later.

* ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'': There are seven characters who join the Blue Team at some point in the novel: John, Fred, Linda, Kelly, Fjahad, Sam, and James. [[spoiler: Sam and James both]] die and [[spoiler:Fjahad]] is crippled and leaves both the team and the series, all in the first book. The other four, however, go on to survive all the way up to the latest media in the series.

** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': While the PlayerCharacter can't get killed other than by a standard GameOver during the first two major missions (Origin and Ostagar), his/her PlayerParty members can and will, so don't grow too attached to them. A case in point: [[spoiler:PC's mother]] in the Human Noble Origin, [[spoiler:Daveth, Ser Jory, and whichever companions you get in the Tower of Ishal depending on your class]] in Ostagar, and [[spoiler:Mhairi]] after the first mission of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening''. While your companions may die later in the game, it is always a [[DeathIsDramatic properly foreshadowed event]].
** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'': [[spoiler: You ''will'' lose [[spoiler:one sibling]] partway through the prologue, and possibly [[spoiler:the other]] at the first time skip. [[spoiler:Your mother]] dies around halfway through the game. Also, you have the option of killing [[spoiler:a permanent party member]] at the start of the final mission.

* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'': The invasion through the Dark Portal at the start of "Warlords of Draenor" leaves only a handful of survivors who managed to escape the Iron Horde. All of them make it to the end of the expansion except for [[spoiler:Maraad]] who gets a HeroicSacrifice, and [[spoiler:Cordana Felsong]], who gets brainwashed by Gul'dan and joins the Legion.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': Half the Linear Guild was lost the first time they met the [=OotS=] gang. Since then, the three survivors have consistently made it away while their newer members tend to get PutOnABus or killed. (Though other characters have not been so lucky, notably [[spoiler:poor Miko]]. And even [[spoiler:Nale and Zzdri, one of the three aforementioned survivors plus another original member who [[TheBusCameBack came back]],]] have bought it lately.)

The inverse of SacrificialLamb. Will usually result in a FirstEpisodeTwist.

* ''Manga/ElfenLied'': Many an anonymous guard is violently killed in the opening sequence, but surprisingly enough, so is the clumsy but lovable secretary Kisaragi, who you would've thought was well on her way to being a developed character.

[[AC:Comic Books]]
* ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'': Uncle Ben is killed early in the story and has remained largely dead due to his role as Peter's heroic inspiration. Meanwhile, Aunt May has managed to even come back from the dead. Apparently, Spider-Man forgot to ask for his uncle back when making his [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay deal with the devil]].
* ''Comicbook/XMen'': Thunderbird is killed off in the issue after he joins the team. All other X-Men involved either are still alive or have failed to stay dead.

* ''FanFic/ThePromise'': Nariko Inabikarito, despite being the {{four|IsDeath}}-tailed [[AsianFoxSpiritfox youkai]], survives the prologue where her siblings are slaughtered. There's the added symbolism of her having black fur, a color associated with life in Myth/JapaneseMythology.

Often in the first chapter or story arc of a series, AnyoneCanDie. The main characters are not established yet and so when someone dies it is quite surprising since everyone was given equal character development. Of course, the death of friends and family motivates the survivors, who go on to become [[PlotArmor virtually immortal]] from there on out, [[ContractualImmortality not suffering a casualty ever again]], except in the most highly dramatic way.

* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': It establishes its credentials as a series where AnyoneCanDie in the battle of Trost, where many of the 104th Trainee Corps (which the audience has been following thus far) are killed off. This includes Marco Bott, who was well on his way to becoming a major character. Those that do survive are mostly alive later on.

* ''Series/RedDwarf'': It starts with everyone dying [[LastOfHisKind save a single survivor]]; EverybodysDeadDave. Not only does the entire crew of the titular spaceship die, but the entire human race goes extinct while Dave is a HumanPopsicle. The first episode is appropriately called [[Recap/RedDwarfSeasonITheEnd "The End"]].

* ''Film/MissionImpossible'':
** In the opening of the first film, Ethan Hunt's whole team is killed off, including characters played by big-name actors Jon Voight, Kristin Scott-Thomas, & Emilio Estevez.
** [[spoiler: Voight got better]], but you don't find that out until later.

* ''Series/RedDwarf'': It starts with everyone dying [[LastOfHisKind save a single survivor]]; EverybodysDeadDave. Not only does the entire crew of the titular spaceship die, but the '''''entire human race goes extinct''''' while Dave is a HumanPopsicle. The first episode is appropriately called "The End".

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'': Half the crew dies right at the beginning of the series. They never lost more than a handful after that unless there was a ResetButton handy.

* ''Franchise/MassEffect'': In the first game, you ''will'' lose one of your first two party members (not counting the SacrificialLamb) before the end. In the second, bad choices can get everyone killed (including you). In the third, your actions in the first two and your choices here may kill effectively everyone from the first two (and some of those with you if you really err).

* In ''Manga/ElfenLied'', many an anonymous guard is violently killed in the opening sequence, but surprisingly enough, so is the clumsy-but-lovable secretary Kisaragi, who you would've thought was well on her way to being a developed character.
* In ''Anime/OutlawStar'', "Hot Ice" Hilda appears to be an important character at the beginning of the show. Unfortunately, [[spoiler: her ship is destroyed while being pursued by pirates. She tries to use a cable wire to pull herself to Gene Starwind's ship, but it just so happens to snap at the last minute. As she floats into the nearest sun, she leaves TheProtagonist with the parting words, "Outlaws never go down easy, no matter what happens to them."]]
* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' establishes its credentials as a series where AnyoneCanDie in the battle of Trost, where many of the 104th Trainee Corps (which the audience has been following thus far) are killed off - including Marco Bott, who was well on his way to become a major character. Those that did survive, however, are all still alive. [[spoiler: Well, most of them.]]

* Uncle Ben was killed off in the first appearance of ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' and has remained largely dead. Meanwhile, Aunt May has managed to even come back from the dead. Apparently, Spider-Man forgot to ask for his uncle back when making his [[ComicBook/OneMoreDay deal with the devil]].
* In ''Comicbook/XMen'', Thunderbird was killed off in the issue after he joined the team. All other X-Men involved either are still alive or have failed to stay dead.

* In the opening of the first ''Film/MissionImpossible'' film, Ethan Hunt's whole team is killed off, including characters played by big-name actors Jon Voight, Kristin Scott-Thomas, & Emilio Estevez.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'': Tons of established characters are killed off in the first battle but from there on out no one can permanently die.

* In the second arc of ''Literature/WingsOfFire'', the seven dragonets of the Jade Winglet class are introduced and set up to be the main cast, only for one of them, Carnelian, to die halfway through the first book. However none of the others of the main cast, nor any other character who's not a villain, dies after this.
* ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'' has seven characters who join Blue Team at some point in the novel: John, Fred, Linda, Kelly, Fjahad, Sam, and James. [[spoiler: Sam and James both die and Fjahad is crippled and leaves both the team and the series, all in the first book. The other four, however, go on to survive all the way up to the latest media in the series.]]

* Original ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|1978}}'': Billions are killed in the Cylon attack but once safely away, the fleet manages to avoid substantial losses for quite a while.
** Interesting note: in the [[Series/BattlestarGalactica2003 reimagined series]], Helo was ''supposed'' to die, having been left behind on Caprica, but the [[EnsembleDarkhorse fandom took a liking to him]], and he showed up in the series as a main character.
* ''Series/RedDwarf'' starts with '''everyone''' dying [[LastOfHisKind save a single survivor]]; EverybodysDeadDave. Not only do the entire crew of the titular spaceship die, but the '''''entire human race goes extinct''''' while Dave is a HumanPopsicle. The first episode is appropriately called "The End".
* In ''Series/StargateSG1'' Kawalsky seems set up to be a main character, but dies at the end of the second episode.

* Almost everyone who survived the first season of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' became virtually immortal in season 2 and after. The characters introduced from the second season on weren't that lucky.
* The entire first episode of ''Series/{{Survivors}}'' involves introducing several characters and then watching most of them die off into the tiny handful that would make up the cast for the rest of the series, as a plague which wipes out 90 percent of the world hits.
* The first episode of ''Series/TheLastManOnEarth'' takes place two years after a virus apparently destroyed all life on Earth, with Phil Miller as the only survivor. Gradually, other survivors appear and join Phil, forming a little community.

* ''Franchise/DragonAge'' does this often.
** While the PlayerCharacter of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' can't get killed other than by a standard GameOver during the first two major missions (Origin and Ostagar), his/her PlayerParty members can and will, so don't grow too attached to them. A case in point: [[spoiler:PC's mother]] in the Human Noble Origin, [[spoiler:Daveth, Ser Jory, and whichever companions you get in the Tower of Ishal depending on your class]] in Ostagar, and [[spoiler:Mhairi]] after the first mission of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOriginsAwakening''. While your companions may die later in the game, it is always a [[DeathIsDramatic properly foreshadowed event]].
** Played straight and subverted in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''. [[spoiler: You ''will'' lose one sibling partway through the prologue, and possibly the other at the first timeskip. Your mother dies around halfway through the game. Also, you have the option of killing a permanent party member at the start of the final mission.]]
* Subverted in a different Bioware series: ''anyone'' can get killed in ''Franchise/MassEffect''. In the first game, you ''will'' lose one of your first two party members (not counting the SacrificialLamb) before the end; in the second, bad choices can get everyone killed (including you); in the third, your actions in the first two and your choices here may kill effectively everyone from the first two (and some of those with you if you really err). Nobody is safe forever.