History TonightSomeoneDies / WesternAnimation

* ''WesternAnimation/CloneHigh'' parodied the trope with a blatant speech by the narrator during a slideshow of the main characters looking shocked: ''"Tonight, one of the clones you've grown to love will be horribly killed!'' (A picture of Ponce de Leon - who had never been seen in the series, and didn't actually have a name up until that point - flashes)'' This isn't some cheap ass stunt where we lamely introduce a new character ''(Ponce flashes again)'' just to kill him off! ''(Ponce, again)''. A clone dies tonight!'' (Ponce smiles at the camera) ''"''

* The season 1 finale episodes of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' were the subject of much hype, since the trailers promised that "a sacrifice would be made". As it turned out, the short-lived Princess Yue was the victim. However, a surprise twist came in the form of another death, namely that of recurring villain Admiral Zhao. This is ultimately averted when the [[WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra sequel series]] reveals that Admiral Zhao is alive albeit trapped in the spirit world,completely insane and determined to capture an avatar that has long been dead.

* On the hundredth episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'', the opening informs us that [[UpToEleven one hundred characters]] will die in this episode, and a counter appears at the bottom. It keeps popping up when someone is in mortal danger, but then disappears when nothing happens. Halfway through the episode, it goes up to one when Stan kills a dog, and then a bus full of minor recurring characters goes off a cliff and brings it up to 97. Three more minor characters die over the course of the episode to bring it to 100.

* ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'': In the episode "[=SpongeBob=] Vs. The Big One", [[SpecialGuest Jack Kahuna Laguna]] (voiced by Creator/JohnnyDepp) says that "[[ExactWords One of you will not return."]] [[spoiler:He later sacrifices himself to the titular giant wave, but [[UnexplainedRecovery returns out of nowhere]] at the end of the special, making this an example of NeverTrustATrailer.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Chaotic}}'' had possibly the most annoying one ever. During one of the episode's preview, the narrator claims "And one of these characters... will be no more," accompanied by pictures of all the main characters. However, if one looked fast, you could see that, in addition to all the real characters, there was a picture of Maxxor, a card owned by the main character that would most likely be fairly easy to replace. Sure enough, he lost the Maxxor card in that episode, and all the main characters got out unscathed.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' played it for real when they ran ads claiming a character would be killed off, only for it to be the less-than-central wife of Ned Flanders; there were several false alarms before the actual death (i.e. there's a crash at the racetrack, and [[Film/FinalDestination a wheel goes flying and slams into]] Lenny Leonard, causing the spectators to gasp...and Lenny gets up and says "I'm okay!" to the spectators' disappointment.)

** In addition, one of the main 6 cast was slated to die in the 12th season. [[spoiler:Brian briefly was dead, but it was for only two episodes, and was completely retconned shortly afterwards.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' creator Creator/AlexHirsch promised that a character would be KilledOffForReal in Season 2. Given that Hirsch is a TrollingCreator of the first order, it should have surprised no one that that character turned out to be [[spoiler:reclusive town leader Eustace Befufftlefumpter, who had made two brief appearances beforehand [[ChekhovsGun just to establish that he was a) the Mayor of Gravity Falls and b) 102]]. His not-untimely death kicks off the plot of "The Stanchurian Candidate," in which Stan runs for mayor against Bud Gleeful.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' Creator/AlexHirsch promised that a character would be KilledOffForReal in Season 2. Given that Hirsch is a TrollingCreator of the first order, it should have surprised no one that that character turned out to be [[spoiler:reclusive town leader Eustace Befufftlefumpter, who had made two brief appearances beforehand [[ChekhovsGun just to establish that he was a) the Mayor of Gravity Falls and b) 102]]. His not-untimely death kicks off the plot of "The Stanchurian Candidate," in which Stan runs for mayor against Bud Gleeful.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' Creator/AlexHirsch promised that a character would be KilledOffForReal in Season 2. Given that Hirsch is a TrollingCreator of the first order, it should have surprised no one that that character turned out to be [[spoiler:reclusive town leader Eustace Befufftlefumpter, who had made two brief appearances beforehand [[ChekhovsGun just to establish that he was a) the mayor and b) 102]]. His not-untimely death kicks off the plot of "The Stanchurian Candidate," in which Stan runs for mayor against Bud Gleeful.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' Creator/AlexHirsch promised that a character would be KilledOffForReal in Season 2. Given that Hirsch is a TrollingCreator of the first order, it should have surprised no one that that character turned out to be [[spoiler:reclusive town leader Eustace Befufftlefumpter, who had made two brief appearances beforehand [[ChekhovsGun just to establish that he was a) the mayor and b) 102]]. His death kicks off the plot of "The Stanchurian Candidate," in which Stan runs for mayor against Bud Gleeful.]]

* "Who Killed Who?," Creator/TexAvery's MGM cartoon, is an animated "re-enactment" of a murder case which the intended victim (reading a book based on the cartoon) has a note on a dagger telling him he will die at 11:30.

* "Who Killed Who?," Creator/TexAvery's MGM cartoon, is an animated "re-enactment" of a murder case which the in tended victim (reading a book based on the cartoon) has a note on a dagger telling him he will die at 11:30.

-->'''Victim:''' Heavens! I can't die at 11:30! (''second note flies in on a dagger reading "Okay, make it 12:00.'')

* The season 1 finale episodes of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' were the subject of much hype, since the trailers promised that "a sacrifice would be made". As it turned out, the short-lived Princess Yue was the victim. However, a surprise twist came in the form of another death, namely that of recurring villain Admiral Zhao.

** The 100th death actually counts as a double subversion, as it first appears, as if Hayley comitted suicide, but then turnes out it was just the hotel owner who wore Hayleys wedding dress and a wig for some reason.

* Advertised constantly in the season 9 premier for ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''. To no one's surprise, the one to die is [[spoiler: Stephanie, an annoying new character Quagmire brought with him, designed specifically to annoy everyone]]. However, [[spoiler: the body count continued with James Woods, Muriel Goldman, Derek (Jillian's husband), Priscilla (another new character), and finally, Diane Simmons, who was the killer. And surprisingly enough, [[KilledOffForReal it stuck]] (except for James Woods who came back a season and a half later), come the next episode, they're all still dead.]]

** The Season 26 premiere, "Clown in the Dumps", was hyped up as having a character voiced by an Emmy award winning cast member die in it. [[spoiler:While it was initially assumed by many to be someone like Krusty or Sideshow Bob [[SpoilerTitle due to the title]], it is the ''very'' minor character Rabbi Krustofski (Krusty's Dad) who ended up kicking the bucket. Although to be fair, the episode does have Rabbi Krustofski voiced by Jackie Mason, his original voice actor who won an Emmy Award for his performance in "Like Father, Like Clown.", the episode that introduced Rabbi Krustofski.[[/note]]]]

** The Season 26 premiere, "Clown in the Dumps", was hyped up as having a character voiced by an Emmy award winning cast member die in it. [[spoiler:While it was initially assumed by many to be someone like Krusty or Sideshow Bob [[SpoilerTitle due to the title]], it is the ''very'' minor character Rabbi Krustofski who ended up kicking the bucket.]]

** The Season 26 premiere, "Clown in the Dumps", was hyped up as having a character voiced by an Emmy award winning cast member die in it. [[spoiler:While it was initially assumed by many to be someone like Krusty or Sideshow Bob [[SpoilerTitle due to the title]], it is the ''very'' minor character Rabbi Krustofski who end up kicking the bucket.]]

** The Season 26 premiere, "Clown in the Dumps", was hyped up as having a character voiced by an Emmy award winning cast member die in it. [[spoiler:While it was initially assumed by many to be someone like Krusty or Sideshow Bob [[SpoilerTitle due to the title]], it turned out to be the ''very'' minor character Rabbi Krustofski who kicked the bucket.]]