History Main / SurvivedTheBeginning

** Straight and Subverted in Dragon Age II. [[spoiler: You WILL lose a sibling at the end of the starting level. And possibly another 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.]]

* While the PlayerCharacter of ''DragonAge: Origins'' 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, [[spoiler:Mhairi]] in the first mission of ''Awakening''. While your companions may die later in the game, it is always a [[DeathIsDramatic properly foreshadowed event]].

* In ''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 [[ItGotWorse at the last minute]]. As she floats into the nearest sun, she leaves our DesignatedHero with the parting words, "Outlaws never go down easy, no matter what happens to them."]]

* ''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 reset button handy.

* ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' half the crew dies right at the beginning of the series. The never lost more than a handful after that unless there was a reset button handy.

* ''Series/RedDwarf'' starts with the death of the entire crew of the spaceship, but one. This first episode is appropriately called ''The End''.

[[folder: Anime ]]

* In ''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 [[ItGotWorse at the last minute]]. As she floats into the nearest sun, she leaves our [[DesignatedHero designated hero]] with the parting words, "Outlaws never go down easy, no matter what happens to them."]]

* In ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'', 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.

[[folder: Film ]]

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

* ''OrderOfTheStick'': 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]].)

* ''StarTrekVoyager'' half the crew dies right at the beginning of the series. The never lost more than a handful after that unless there was a reset button handy.

* ''RedDwarf'' starts with the death of the entire crew of the spaceship, but one. This first episode is appropriately called ''The End''.

The inverse of SacrificialLamb. Will ususally result in a FirstEpisodeSpoiler.

* SG1 Kowalski is set up to be a main character, but dies at the end of the second episode.

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

* Original ''BattlestarGalactica'': 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 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.

* Almost everyone who survived the first season of ''{{Heroes}}'' became virtually immortal in season 2 and after. The characters introduced from the second season on weren't that lucky.

* While the PlayerCharacter of ''DragonAge: Origins'' can't get killed other than by a standard GameOver during the first two major missions (Origin and Osthagar), 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 Osthagar, [[spoiler:Mhairi]] in the first mission of ''Awakening''. While your companions may die later in the game, it is always a [[DeathIsDramatic properly foreshadowed event]].

* ''{{Goblins}}'': A whole goblin raiding party is wiped out killing many, many characters. Since then the survivors have gone on to slaughter anything that looks at them the wrong way without a single death.

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.

[[AC:Anime]]

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* In ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'', 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.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''TransformersTheMovie'': Tons of established characters are killed off in the first battle but from there on out no one can permanently die.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* Original ''BattlestarGalactica'': Billions are killed in the Cylon attack but once safely away, the fleet manages to avoid substantial losses for quite a while.

* SG1 Kowalski is set up to be a main character, but dies at the end of the second episode.
* ''StarTrekVoyager'' half the crew dies right at the beginning of the series. The never lost more than a handful after that unless there was a reset button handy.
* Almost everyone who survived the first season of ''{{Heroes}}'' became virtually immortal in season 2 and after. The characters introduced from the second season on weren't that lucky.

[[AC:WebComics]]
* ''{{Goblins}}'': A whole goblin raiding party is wiped out killing many, many characters. Since then the survivors have gone on to slaughter anything that looks at them the wrong way without a single death.

[[AC:VideoGames]]

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* ''{{Transformers}} TheMovie'': Tons of established characters are killed off in the first battle but from there on out no one can permanently die.

* ''Star Trek: Voyager'' half the crew dies right at the beginning of the series. The never lost more than a handful after that unless there was a reset button handy.

* In ''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 [[ItGotWorse at the last minute]]. As she floats into the nearest sun, she leaves our[[DesignatedHero designated hero]] with the parting words, "Outlaws never go down easy, no matter what happens to them."]]

* In ''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 [[ItGotWorse at the last minute]]. As she floats into the nearest sun, she leaves the [[DesignatedHero designated hero]] with the parting words, "Outlaws never go down easy, no matter what happens to them."]]

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 virtually immortal from there on out, [[ContractualImmortality not suffering a casualty ever again]], except in the most highly dramatic way.

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<<|BeginningTropes|>>
<<|NarrativeDevices|>>

* Uncle Ben was killed off in the first appearance of ''Comicbook/{{Spider-Man}}'' 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 deal with the devil.
** Aunt May came back via retcon where it was an actress impersonating her when she died. But yeah. Maybe deep down Peter understood Uncle Ben would have kicked his ass if he figured out how he came back.

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* In ''Comicbook/{{X-Men}}'', 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.
* Uncle Ben was killed off in the first appearance of ''Comicbook/{{Spider-Man}}'' 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 deal with the devil.
** Aunt May came back via retcon where it was an actress impersonating her when she died. But yeah. Maybe deep down Peter understood Uncle Ben would have kicked his ass if he figured out how he came back.

* Star Trek Voyager half the crew dies right at the beginning of the series. The never lost more than a handful after that unless there was a reset button handy.