History ShootTheDog / VideoGames

* ''Videogame/SonicBattle'': Emerl. A machine designed to be the most powerful warrior ever created, and yours - indeed, everybody's - closest, most innocent, childlike friend. His warrior side wakes up after he witnesses a WaveMotionGun attack of incredible power, destroying his original personality and overloading him into a supercharged death machine. [[TearJerker/SonicTheHedgehog There's nothing you can do for him, save defeat him and let him die.]]
* Played straight, [[{{AvertedTrope}} averted,]] [[{{SubvertedTrope}} subverted,]] and all-around [[{{Deconstructor Fleet}} deconstructed to hell and back]] in ''[[{{VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine}} Spec Ops: The Line]]''. All of the [[{{WarIsHell}} many,]] [[{{FromBadToWorse}} many,]] '''[[{{MoralEventHorizon}} many]]''' horrible things that happen throughout the game are done by people who claim to be doing it for the greater good or consider the acts a necessary evil. In almost every case, they're just deluding themselves.
* In ''VideoGame/SplinterCell: DoubleAgent'', one of your earlier "karma choices" is to [[spoiler: decide whether to shoot the pilot of the helicopter that the terrorist organization hijacked, as an act of loyalty to the terrorists. If Sam decides to instead hesitate and stay loyal to the government, Sam's only friend in the organization does it instead in a last-minute decision to save Sam's face.]]
** Said choice is then taken UpToEleven when Sam is made to choose between [[spoiler: killing Lambert or killing Jamie]]; choosing the former option secures Sam's cover long enough to [[spoiler: kill the villain and save the day with ease]], whilst choosing the latter serves to [[spoiler: risk the entire mission as of then, as well as thousands of lives just to maintain his moral code.]]

* In ''{{VideoGame/Starcraft}}'', Tassadar is forced to [[EarthShatteringKaboom burn and sterilize]] the Terran planets that have been infested with Zerg, because it is the [[KillItWithFire most effective way to kill the Zerg]]. After a while, Tassadar refuses to shoot any more dogs and disobeys his orders. Whether true or not, this is also Arcturus Mengsk's stated reason for everything he does.

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', Yuri is defined by this trope as a vigilante, putting him at odds with the more law abiding Flynn. Near the end of the first arc, Yuri [[spoiler:murders Ragou in cold blood and tosses his body into a river]], because in Yuri's eyes, his target was very close to escaping justice for their horrendous crimes. Later, Yuri repeats this feat with [[spoiler:Cumore, who was sending people into the desert to die basically because nobody cared to stop him from doing it]] by giving his target a choice between [[MortonsFork drowning in quicksand or being impaled on Yuri's sword]].

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** In ''Wandersong'', the Goddess, Eya, plans to Shoot The Dog on a universal scale, sending a "Hero" to kill the Overseers (the universe's ElementalEmbodiment s), which destroys EVERYTHING, allowing her to start over, due to the universe itself slowly becoming increasingly (and irreversibly) corrupted and distant, as well as the Overseers turning into insane monsters that also [[MookMaker spawn monsters]], both of which attack anyone it sees. Their corruption/deaths also cause the Earth to start becoming more of a DeathWorld as things like the wind, sea, and even stars degrade from their insanity/absence. The plot also clarifies this is far from the first time Eya has done this (though it implies this time is the worst it's ever gotten before everything reset), and everyone involved has resigned to this fate because they believe that it's just how the universe works. [[spoiler: It also happens again in the ending if you skip the chapters via intentional SequenceBreaking, as it means you no longer have the connections with people for the regular ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve ending that breaks the cycle.]]

* Attempted in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 4''. Dante's dropping into a meeting of the Order of the Sword [[spoiler:and putting a round through the head of their leader Sanctus]] was meant to prevent the BigBad from carrying out his nefarious plan. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, that wasn't good enough, as Sanctus got better]].

* Near the end of ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin'', [[spoiler:Kidman tries to kill Leslie, a patient from a metal hospital. He suffered from a traumatic experience when he was younger and in both the original game and DLCs, people want use him for nefarious purposes. Once Kidman realizes what Ruvik and MOBIUS want Leslie for, she prepares to kill him to both prevent from being used and to stop Ruvik. She clearly doesn't want to kill him, but feels like she has no other choice.]]

* ''VideoGame/StarWarsKnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', the Jedi are forced into a situation that leads them to decide to totally brainwash someone. It's almost the only option when a dangerous enemy in possession of knowledge the Republic desperately needs falls into their hands in a comatose state, and they have to keep him from turning against them while getting their hands on that knowledge.

* The "quadruquel" ''VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda'' has a few optional moments to gun down canines too. While rescuing the Moshae for the Angaara, you are given the opportunity to destroy a Kett facility with brainwashed Angaara captives still in it; the alternative lets you rescue the captives but leave the facility intact (with very little justification given for why you can't rescue the captives then blow the facility beyond [[IGaveMyWord you giving your word]] to someone you're given the option of [[BoomHeadshot shooting in the face]] seconds later).

* Standard procedure in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' for anyone [[{{Brainwashed}} tempered]] by a primal is to put them to death. Even if you could imprison them safely, their newfound devotion [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly is making the primal stronger]], and as far as anyone knows there's no way to ''un''-temper someone. [[spoiler: Midgarsormr manages to untemper the player from Hydalaeyn's influence, but it's implied that Hydalaeyn was already weakened to the point of removing the PC's tempering automatically anyway. Midgarsormr's and Hydalaeyn's tempering is also quite a bit more benign, as the PC is never brainwashed into servitude.]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' deals many a PlayerPunch throughout the game. One of these is facing Milleuda, the sister of Corpse Brigade leader Wiegraf. By the time you face her in battle, the Brigade has been decimated, you know of their extremely sympathetic cause (they were commoners denied rightful pay in the last war), and you'd much rather hurry to rescue Tietra, Delita's kidnapped sister. But there's no way to proceed except to defeat her because neither the plot nor the game engine will allow any other solution.

* Zero had to make this decision at the end of ''VideoGame/MegaManZero 4''. Confronted with the monster that was [[BigBad Dr. Weil]], the latter boasts how a hero like Zero would never bring himself up to kill a human like Weil, or else he would forever be branded a Maverick. Fortunately, [[Awesome/MegaManZero Zero]] [[ShutUpHannibal does]] [[PunchClockHero not]] [[WorldOfCardboardSpeech care.]] -- An unfortunate mistake Weil has made, since Zero was not created according to the [[ThreeLawsCompliant Three Laws of Robotics]] anyway.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' deals many a PlayerPunch throughout the game. One of these is facing Mileuda, the sister of Corpse Brigade leader Wiegraf. By the time you face her in battle, the Brigade has been decimated, you know of their extremely sympathetic cause (they were commoners screwed over of rightful pay in the last war), and you'd much rather hurry to rescue Teta, Delita's kidnapped sister. But there's no way to proceed except to defeat her because neither the plot nor the game engine will allow any other solution.

* ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead'' games has the player make painful choices of choosing to save one character over another or let one character die or not.
** In 400 days, Vince has the painful choice of shooting a convicted rapists, or a con artist in the leg, to free themselves from their chains.
** Clementine [[spoiler:has a near literal run in with the Trope Name. She has the option to either put a dog out of its misery after it is impaled on a broken pole, or leave it there to bleed out. It did try to kill her, after all.]]
* Played straight, [[{{AvertedTrope}} averted,]] [[{{SubvertedTrope}} subverted,]] and all-around [[{{Deconstructor Fleet}} deconstructed to hell and back]] in ''[[{{VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine}} Spec Ops: The Line]]''. All of the [[{{WarIsHell}} many,]] [[{{FromBadToWorse}} many,]] '''[[{{MoralEventHorizon}} many]]''' horrible things that happen throughout the game are done by people who claim to be doing it for the greater good or consider the acts a necessary evil. In almost every case, they're just deluding themselves.
* In TheAdventuresOfStarSaver, a common enemy is a dog that only attacks once you pass it. It's invincible when it's idle, like an inanimate object. But once it starts attacking, if you shoot the dog a few times, it's dead, and you get points for it. It's just a dog, but unless you kill it or it gets stuck, it will keep charging at you.
* In ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings'', even if you're trying not to be a total VillainProtagonist, you will have a short and bloody reign if you don't become very good at this. Assassinating honorable nobles -- even children -- to prevent civil wars trying to put them on the throne and arranging loveless marriages between one's daughters and brutal sadists to forge vital alliances are only the most ordinary deeds a feudal ruler must do to protect their people.
* The backstory of the ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' series has the Coalition of Ordered Governments launch a simultaneous KillSat attack on every city and strategic resource on the planet except for the capital city and everything around it on the granite plateau that they're built on in order to buy time to fight back against the Locust, which they had been fighting a losing battle against for the past year. This ends up killing billions but also stops the Locust offensive cold, as the COG government was given an estimate of ''six months'' before the Locust rendered humanity extinct, and fulfills its purpose as the COG, through narrowing the front to a relatively easy-to-defend perimeter instead of a massive, planet-wide government where the Locust could pop up anywhere, and allows humanity to hold out for 13 more years before [[PyrrhicVictory finally winning]].
* It's not necessary but highly advised you kill your infected friend Bill in ''[[VideoGame/DontEscape Don't Escape 2]]'', or he'll turn into a zombie by nightfall and make your chances of survival a lot tougher. The player character can choose to kill him in a handful of different ways; the most humane is [[spoiler:giving him painkillers, then his LastRequest of an alcoholic drink, and shooting him in the head whilst he's unconscious]], whilst the least is [[spoiler:slaughtering him with the axe whilst he's fully conscious, ignoring his pleas for you to stop]].
* Standard procedure in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' for anyone [[{{Brainwashed}} tempered]] by a primal is to put them to death. Even if you could imprison them safely, their newfound devotion [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly is making the primal stronger]], and as far as anyone knows there's no way to ''un''-temper someone. [[spoiler: Midgarsormr manages to untemper the player from Hydalaeyn's influence, but it's implied that Hydalaeyn was already weakened to the point of removing the PC's tempering automatically anyway. Midgarsormr's and Hydalaeyn's tempering is also quite a bit more benign, as the PC is never brainwashed into servitude.]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' deals many a PlayerPunch throughout the game. One of these is facing Mileuda, the sister of Corpse Brigade leader Wiegraf. By the time you face her in battle, the Brigade has been decimated, you know of their extremely sympathetic cause (they were commoners screwed over of rightful pay in the last war), and you'd much rather hurry to rescue Teta, Delita's kidnapped sister. But there's no way to proceed except to defeat her because neither the plot nor the game engine will allow any other solution.
* In ''VideoGame/KaiserreichLegacyOfTheWeltkrieg'', [[spoiler:[[HistoricalInJoke extralegally ordering the assassination of Huey Long]]]] is the only way to avoid the [[DividedStatesOfAmerica Second American Civil War]].
* One of the most iconic moments of ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' is the Culling of Stratholme, a mission where the noble prince Arthas is forced to destroy an entire city of his own innocent subjects as they are all infected with the plague of undeath and will soon rise from the dead to slaughter the living. While this action is defensible, if unsavory, it makes him so furious that he begins pursuing revenge at all costs and is the start of a downward spiral ending with the loss of his own soul. Things get worse from there.

* Practiced very realistically in an audio log of ''VideoGame/Warhammer40000SpaceMarine''. Following the ork invasion, the human forces of the Forgeworld are drowning in wounded and without enough supplies to treat them all. A veteran doctor who is well-acquainted with battlefield triage begins coldly, bluntly ordering her subordinates not to waste any time or medication on civilians who don't look like they're going to make it, and save all their supplies and attention for healthier patients. While the others are initially horrified, they quickly realize she's right.
** In fact she starts euthanizing them because she knows the Orks might soon overrun the field hospital; there is no way to move them all and (Orks being senseless, inhumane alien savages who live for the thrill of inflicting violence) [[FateWorseThanDeath the fate of any helpless human who falls into their hands will be ghastly indeed]].
* During the ''Arrival'' DLC mission in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', Shepard learns that [[spoiler:the Reaper invasion is imminent, and s/he needs to buy the Alliance and Council time for humanity and its allies to have a hope of surviving. To slow the Reapers, Alliance operatives have rigged an asteroid to ram a Mass Relay, destroying it and forcing the Reapers to travel for months or years to get to the next one. However, the destruction of the Mass Relay will inevitably obliterate the entire system, which contains a Batarian mining colony with a population of about 300,000]]. In addition, [[spoiler: the Alliance is likely to take the heat politically, since the Batarians recently caught Alliance personnel poking around their system. With only hours to spare before the titular arrival and no other options, Shepard presses the button.]]
** This also has the potential of occurring in several of the loyalty missions -- notably [[spoiler:Mordin]] and [[spoiler:Miranda's]] -- however, in those instances, Shepard can persuade them not to do it.
** In the Overlord DLC, Paragon Shepard warns [[spoiler:Gavin Archer]] that if the latter comes after [[spoiler:his abominably-treated brother]], Shepard will shoot on sight.
** Virmire in the first game--you ''will'' have to leave either [[spoiler: Kaiden or Ashley]] behind. One of the endings in the third game can count for this [[spoiler: for the Geth and EDI.]]
* The "quadruquel" VideoGame/MassEffectAndromeda has a few optional moments to gun down canines too. While rescuing the Moshae for the Angaara, you are given the opportunity to destroy a Kett facility with brainwashed Angaara captives still in it; the alternative lets you rescue the captives but leave the facility intact (with very little justification given for why you can't rescue the captives then blow the facility beyond [[IGaveMyWord you giving your word]] to someone you're given the option of [[BoomHeadshot shooting in the face]] seconds later).

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', Yuri is defined by this trope as a vigilante, putting him at odds with the more law abiding Flynn. Near the end of the first arc, Yuri [[spoiler:murders Ragou in cold blood and tosses his body into a river]], because in Yuri's eyes, his target was very close to escaping justice for their horrendous crimes. Later, Yuri repeats this feat with [[spoiler:Cumore, who was sending people into the desert to die basically because nobody cared to stop him from doing it]] by giving his target a choice between [[MortonsFork drowning in quicksand or being impaled on Yuri's sword]].
** Yuri also shoots a few dogs in the prequel movie, when Repede's father Lambert is possessed by a monster, forcing Yuri to kill him.
* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', towards the end of the game, you learn the secret of how the Emperor created Death's Hand [[spoiler: and that you can use the same technique to bind him to you instead. After learning this, you're lectured on how this is the [[MindRape worse thing you can do to a person]]. You can still choose to do it and given how powerful a warrior Death's Hand is, it's pretty tempting.]] It really stops having the "justifiable" credentials when you [[spoiler: then have to bind ''[[MoralEventHorizon your fellow party members]]'' if you want to keep him over their objections.]] From the character's point of view, it's easy to see how this might look like the only way to win, but really...

* Georg Prime in ''VideoGame/SuikodenV'' does this to [[spoiler: Queen Arshtat]] and becomes a HeroWithBadPublicity as a result.
* In ''VideoGame/SplinterCell: DoubleAgent'', one of your earlier "karma choices" is to [[spoiler: decide whether to shoot the pilot of the helicopter that the terrorist organization hijacked, as an act of loyalty to the terrorists. If Sam decides to instead hesitate and stay loyal to the government, Sam's only friend in the organization does it instead in a last-minute decision to save Sam's face.]]
** Said choice is then taken UpToEleven when Sam is made to choose between [[spoiler: killing Lambert or killing Jamie]]; choosing the former option secures Sam's cover long enough to [[spoiler: kill the villain and save the day with ease]], whilst choosing the latter serves to [[spoiler: risk the entire mission as of then, as well as thousands of lives just to maintain his moral code.]]
*** The above example is made even worse when WordOfGod revealed in ''Conviction'' that not only Sam [[spoiler: killing Lambert]] is canon, but that [[spoiler: Lambert did '''everything''' in ''Double Agent'' to protect Sam's daughter, thus only adding to the guilt of killing a friend on a whim.]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{EverQuest II}}'', if the PC wishes to become a citizen of an evil-aligned city called Freeport, they must follow a quest line where they earn the trust and love of a canine companion before being ordered to kill it.
* In ''{{VideoGame/Fallout 3}}'': [[spoiler:the player comes across a computer simulation run by one Stanislaus Braun, who has been torturing its inhabitants for the past two hundred years. The action which nets the most karma? Activating a fail-safe which calls in simulated Chinese soldiers who arrive and kill everyone.]]
** A literal example involves a glitch involving the follower Dogmeat (a dog) and the perk "Puppies!", which you get from Broken Steel. If you have the perk and Dogmeat dies, a new dog that replaces Dogmeat will show up. If you [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential kill Dogmeat]], recruit a follower, recruit the new dog, and then kill the new dog (repeating the process), you can obtain every follower in the game (normally, you are only allowed one follower and Dogmeat). You are shooting the dog for the purpose of gaining a relative army of followers.
** Killing either the Overseer or Amata and the rebels in Trouble On the Homefront. If you fail the Speech challenges, [[ViolenceIsTheOnlyOption this is the only option]] other than just walking away, or forcing an evacuation of the vault.
* In ''{{VideoGame/Starcraft}}'', Tassadar is forced to [[EarthShatteringKaboom burn and sterilize]] the Terran planets that have been infested with Zerg, because it is the [[KillItWithFire most effective way to kill the Zerg]]. After a while, Tassadar refuses to shoot any more dogs and disobeys his orders. Whether true or not, this is also Arcturus Mengsk's stated reason for everything he does.
* [[Videogame/SonicBattle Emerl]]. A machine designed to be the most powerful warrior ever created, and yours - indeed, everybody's - closest, most innocent, childlike friend. His warrior side wakes up after he witnesses a WaveMotionGun attack of incredible power, destroying his original personality and overloading him into a supercharged death machine. [[TearJerker/SonicTheHedgehog There's nothing you can do for him, save defeat him and let him die.]]
* Solar Boy Django, the protagonist of ''VideoGame/{{Boktai}}'' has been forced to kill off, or very nearly do so, a member of his immediate family during each of his series three games after they are enslaved by the forces of darkness. The only thing that makes it slightly easier (or even worse) for him is that they [[ICannotSelfTerminate beg him to do so]].
* Zero had to make this decision at the end of ''VideoGame/MegaManZero 4''. Confronted with the monster that was [[BigBad Dr. Weil]], the latter boasts how a hero like Zero would never bring himself up to kill a human like Weil, or else he would forever be branded a Maverick. Fortunately, [[Awesome/MegaManZero Zero]] [[ShutUpHannibal does]] [[PunchClockHero not]] [[WorldOfCardboardSpeech care.]] -- An unfortunate mistake Weil has made, since Zero was not created according to the [[ThreeLawsCompliant Three Laws of Robotics]] anyway.
* Throughout ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime 3: Corruption'', Samus is forced to fight and kill Rundas, Ghor and Gandrayda in order to save them, in a manner of speaking, from their total Phazon corruption. Possibly doubles into a KickTheDog moment immediately afterwards, as [[spoiler: an incorporeal [[EvilTwin Dark]] [[BigBad Samus]] appears and absorbs their bodies into its own.]]
* While you can easily be a MessianicArchetype in most of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', when it comes to the dwarven city of Orzammar, if you attempt to give it at least a somewhat happy ending in the epilogue, you will be forced to Shoot the Dog repeatedly because apparently, in dwarven society, NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished. Examples include: [[spoiler: An Andrastian priest with a simple request to build a local Chantry church. Doing so will result in religious unrest in the city, ultimately leading to the priest's murder and the Chantry contemplating a holy war against Orzammar. Then, during the main quest, you'll be forced to work with the MagnificentBastard Bhelen who killed his eldest brother Trian and let the Dwarf Noble PC take the blame, causing him to become exiled; rather than the ReasonableAuthorityFigure Lord Harrowmont. Because once made king, Harrowmont will prove to be an utterly ineffective leader and Orzammar will close itself off from the world and fall into political chaos. But if Bhelen becomes king, he becomes a benevolent dictator who abolishes many of the restrictive dwarven policies (like the Caste System) and opens up Orzammar to the world.]]
* In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'', Snake's ultimate mission is to [[spoiler: eliminate his old mentor, The Boss, in order to avert a nuclear war.]] At the very end, she lays there dying, and orders him to fire the bullet that will end her life. The game forces you to pull the trigger.
** In the original ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', Snake has to perform a MercyKill on Sniper Wolf at her request after [[AlasPoorVillain learning about her miserable past and her motivation for joining FOX/HOUND]]. For his part, Snake is kind enough to reassure her that she lived with honor before he ends her suffering.

* The SAS and TF 141 spend a lot of time shooting the dogs in ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare''. Especially [[TheUnfettered Captain Price]].
* In ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'', the Chosen Undead will have no choice but to [[spoiler:kill Gwyn, who is arguably one of the most noble characters in the game,]] if there is to be any hope for the future.
** [[spoiler: The player has to shoot several other dogs along the way, including several [=NPCs=] who [[SanitySlippage go Hollow]] and attack you (unless [[GuideDangIt you deliberately miss their event flags]]). Many of these double as a PlayerPunch, and a few even count as a MercyKill. Conversely, certain actions prompt some otherwise-friendly [=NPCs=] to attack ''you'', presumably making you the "dog" in their eyes.]]
* In ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'', this is the reason for everything the [[spoiler:Practical Incarnation]] has done. He may be [[SmugSnake arrogant]] and {{manipulative|Bastard}}, but the thing is, if he hadn't done these things, ''you'' would have never been able to regain your memories [[spoiler:and find the Transcendent One]]
* In the... Unfortunate Soulstorm expansion to ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' the command unit for the Sisters of Battle has the quote "Thou shalt not! '''I''' shall!" Stating "I'm about to do some heinous things in the defense of the Imperium." She sounds a little too [[SociopathicHero happy]] about it, though...
* ''VideoGame/MightAndMagic VI'' has the main characters release the BigBad of ''Heroes II'', leaving him free to restart his scheming to gain the throne of Enroth. There is a very pragmatic and logical reason for that: he's the only one around that knows the Ritual of the Void, and you need to learn said Ritual to keep the world from blowing up in the process of saving it. Compared to TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, Archibald Ironfist on the loose is a ''much'' better option.
* In ''VideoGame/AdventureQuestWorlds'', the hero is forced to kill Antiphuus during the Bloodtusk Ravine saga because Antiphuus was Chaorrupted - hoping that Sokrakiis would understand. Sokrakiis, Krellenos, and Khasaanda realized that Antiphuus' Chaorruption ended up leading to his murder and decided that there would be nothing to redeem Antiphuus' Chaorruptor. [[spoiler:Little did the trolls know, was that Krellenos was indeed the one who Chaorrupted Antiphuus and became responsible for his murder.]]
* King Loghaire in ''VideoGame/{{Arcanum}}'' is forced to banish the Black Mountain Clan and allow elves to interfere in the Dwarven justice system, an unforgivable crime against Black Mountain's honor, for the sake of preventing a war between elves and dwarves that could devastate the continent. He deeply regrets it though, and states that if given the choice a second time, he'd happily go to war with all the world for the sake of his kin's honor.
* Near the end of ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'', you're required to kill [[spoiler: Angel, who is revealed to be a Siren and also Jack's daughter, and she's kept alive by the Eridium injectors that Jack has her hooked up to so she can power the Vault Key.]]

* In ''VideoGame/SplinterCellDoubleAgent'', one of your earlier "karma choices" is to [[spoiler: decide whether to shoot the pilot of the helicopter that the terrorist organization hijacked, as an act of loyalty to the terrorists. If Sam decides to instead hesitate and stay loyal to the government, Sam's only friend in the organization does it instead in a last-minute decision to save Sam's face.]]

*** The above example is made even worse when WordOfGod revealed in ''[[VideoGame/SplinterCellConviction Conviction]]'' that not only Sam [[spoiler:killing Lambert]] is canon, but that [[spoiler: Lambert did '''everything''' in ''Double Agent'' to protect Sam's daughter, thus only adding to the guilt of killing a friend on a whim.]]

* In the infamous "Mind of Steel" 'bad' end (#30) in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', having been told that [[spoiler:Sakura, the girl he loves, will go insane through mana deprivation and kill people]], Shirou decides to follow his father's footsteps by freezing his emotions in order to [[spoiler:kill Sakura]] and (once he learns [[spoiler:the [[ArtifactOfDoom true nature]] of the Grail]]) coldly win the Grail War--whatever it takes--for the sake of the greater good. As Kotomine says, now that he has turned his mind to steel, he ''is'' his father, and his success is guaranteed.
** Also, [[spoiler: killing Saber on the same route]]. Yes, it avoids a horrific Bad End, but at the time you have no way of knowing that, so choosing that option on your first playthrough without having read a walkthrough has many aspects of this.

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', Yuri is defined by this trope as a ChaoticGood vigilante, putting him at odds with the more LawfulGood Flynn. Near the end of the first arc, Yuri [[spoiler:murders Ragou in cold blood and tosses his body into a river]], because in Yuri's eyes, his target was very close to escaping justice for their horrendous crimes. Later, Yuri repeats this feat with [[spoiler:Cumore, who was sending people into the desert to die basically because nobody cared to stop him from doing it]] by giving his target a choice between [[MortonsFork drowning in quicksand or being impaled on Yuri's sword]].

* Standard procedure in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' for anyone [[{{Brainwashed}} tempered]] by a primal is to put them to death. Even if you could imprison them safely, their newfound devotion [[GodsNeedPrayerBadly is making the primal stronger]], and as far as anyone knows there's no way to ''un''-temper someone.

* It's not necessary but highly advised you kill your infected friend Bill in ''[[VideoGame/DontEscape Don't Escape 2]]'', or he'll turn into a zombie by nightfall and make your chances of survival a lot tougher. The player character can choose to kill him in a handful of different ways.

* The backstory of the ''GearsOfWar'' series has the Coalition of Ordered Governments launch a simultaneous KillSat attack on every city and strategic resource on the planet except for the capital city and everything around it on the granite plateau that they're built on in order to buy time to fight back against the Locust, which they had been fighting a losing battle against for the past year. This ends up killing billions but also stops the Locust offensive cold, as the COG government was given an estimate of ''six months'' before the Locust rendered humanity extinct, and fulfills its purpose as the COG, through narrowing the front to a relatively easy-to-defend perimeter instead of a massive, planet-wide government where the Locust could pop up anywhere, and allows humanity to hold out for 13 more years before [[PyrrhicVictory finally winning]].

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', Yuri is defined by this trope as a ChaoticGood vigilante, putting him at odds with the more LawfulGood Flynn. Near the end of the first arc, Yuri [[spoiler:murders Ragou in cold blood and tosses his body into a river]], because in Yuri's eyes, his target was very close to escaping justice their horrendous crimes. Later, Yuri repeats this feat with [[spoiler:Cumore, who was sending people into the desert to die basically because nobody cared to stop him from doing it]] by giving his target a choice between [[MortonsFork drowning in quicksand or being impaled on Yuri's sword]].
** Yuri also does it in the prequel movie, when Repede's father Lambert is possessed by a monster, forcing Yuri to kill him.

* In ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'', Yuri is almost defined by this trope. Near the end of the first arc, he [[spoiler: murders Ragou in cold blood and tosses his body into the river, because Ragou was escaping justice for horrendous crimes]]. Later, he repeats it with [[spoiler: Cumore]].
** He also does it [[spoiler:in the prequel movie, when Repede's father Lambert is possessed by a monster, forcing Yuri to kill him]].

* Defied in ''VideoGame/SpyParty'': If you point at Ms. J's dog, Mog (Designed after John's girlfriend's dog, Olive), as a Sniper, he will duck down into the purse, which is made of kevlar. Since you only have one shot, shooting the purse will not harm Mog. [[note]]But will miraculously kill Ms. J.[[/note]]