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15->''"Well, up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong;\
16'You'll never take me alive,' said he."''
17-->-- '''[[Creator/BanjoPaterson Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson]]''', "Waltzing Matilda"
18
19A situation where a character commits suicide rather than face capture, imminent death, [[MadeASlave enslavement]], [[ComeToGawk public humiliation]] followed by (possibly [[CruelAndUnusualDeath grisly]]) execution, or [[FateWorseThanDeath something even worse]]. If there is no way to avoid death, characters will often prefer to go on their own terms rather than let their enemy decide their fate. Sometimes it's just to deny the enemy the ''[[SpitefulSuicide satisfaction]]'' of killing them.
20
21The most common places that Better To Die Than Be Killed shows up are stories where people face a FateWorseThanDeath in either the classical sense or in a BodyHorror / TheVirus sense, such as in a zombie movie where being taken by the zombies means being eaten alive or joining their number. In the older stories, such as westerns, samurai, and kung-fu stories, a woman faced with rape and death at the hands of her enemies would often choose to die by her own hand rather than suffer this fate.
22
23A variation of this also appears in the classic scene where [[LeaveBehindAPistol a disgraced army officer finds a loaded gun on his bed]] as the obvious hint to kill themselves in order to spare the regiment the embarrassment.
24
25Another variation happens quite a lot, where a mook kills themself rather than let the heroes find out any information. This also shows up in espionage where a captured spy takes a CyanidePill, or in MilitaryFiction where a ship or base engages its SelfDestructMechanism, to deny captors any information they might gain from them under [[ColdBloodedTorture torture]].
26
27This trope may derive from Real Life. Many cultures that are primarily based around personal glory and honour, including that of AncientRome, held that suicide was an acceptable form of death: to a Roman, suicide was not just a way to avoid experiencing perpetual dishonor or humiliating punishments such as Crucifixion, but a noble deed meant to demonstrate one's own stoicism and honor in the face of adversity. Emperor Otho was considered a weak, luxury-loving sybarite until he committed suicide shortly before a plot to assassinate him could be put into effect; his self-inflicted death changed Romans' minds, leading them to see Otho as a greater man than he perhaps really was. Feudal Japan had many similarities with the Romans in their opinion about "honorable suicides": see also {{Seppuku}} and [[SuicideAttack Kamikaze]]. For other comparable examples, see MartyrdomCulture. The Christians were seen as depraved and disgusting by Romans such as Tacitus in part because they would rather accept fates worse than death instead of committing suicide, which the Romans interpreted as almost obscene (as was the Christian willingness to be crucified or dismembered by wild animals, literally the two most dishonorable methods of death a Roman could conceive of). They were widely disdained and mocked for worshiping a [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} crucified god]] because of this at first, as ancient graffiti attests to (eventually, some came to admire them for [[FaceDeathWithDignity nobly facing a horrific death rather than give up their faith]] and convert in many cases, though it took a long time for this attitude to change).
28
29A small number of actual criminals would rather die than be taken to prison ("You'll never take me alive, copper!") -- for the most part, people tend to treat these cases a lot less sympathetically than other examples of this trope, as it's seen as a cowardly way to escape justice. The criminal may even make one last shot at a BlastOut, meaning either a bloody escape, or more likely, SuicideByCop. If there's a ledge nearby, you can bank on a HighDiveEscape.
30
31In a setting where SuicideIsShameful, this trope shouldn't be glorified.
32
33Compare IDieFree and SpitefulSuicide, which may overlap. Contrast FaceDeathWithDignity, MercyKill, ICannotSelfTerminate. In video games and some other media, this could be considered a case of [[KillSteal self-kill-stealing]], especially [[DefiantToTheEnd to stop]] experience or a reward being gained by the kill. Has nothing to do with [[VisualNovel/FateStayNight the fact that]] "[[MemeticMutation People die if they are killed]]".
34
35!!As this is a {{Death Trope|s}}, [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff unmarked spoilers abound]]. [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned Beware]].
36----
37!!Example subpages:
38
39[[index]]
40* BetterToDieThanBeKilled/AnimeAndManga
41* BetterToDieThanBeKilled/FanWorks
42* [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]
43* BetterToDieThanBeKilled/{{Literature}}
44* BetterToDieThanBeKilled/LiveActionTV
45* BetterToDieThanBeKilled/VideoGames
46* BetterToDieThanBeKilled/RealLife
47[[/index]]
48
49!!Other examples:
50[[foldercontrol]]
51
52[[folder:Asian Animation]]
53* In ''Animation/PleasantGoatAndBigBigWolf: Joys of Seasons'' episode 65, the goats are all about to be eaten by Wolffy and Wolnie on Mr. Slowy's ark. Mr. Slowy decides to jump off the ark and into the water instead to avoid them, and the other goats follow suit thinking it's better to drown themselves than to be consumed. Thankfully, the Moving Lake that caused the flood persuading Slowy to build an ark in the first place goes away before they do drown, and they all turn out fine.
54[[/folder]]
55
56[[folder:Comic Books]]
57* This happens several times in the ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'' comics released by Dark Horse Comics as most humans would rather die than be torn apart by the Xenomorphs or be impregnated by a facehugger.
58* It happens twice in ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns''. First, an army general caps himself when Batman discovers about his illegal arms dealing, and then the Joker [[NeckSnap twists his own neck and kills himself]] (thereby making everyone think that Batman finished him off) when Batman paralyzes him but can't bring himself to go all the way.
59* Subverted in ''Comicbook/{{WITCH}}'': [[BigBad Phobos]] decides to jump off Kandrakar, apparently meaning he's going to fall in infinity forever instead of being captured, but he simply needed to avoid being captured to activate his plan B.
60* ''ComicBook/{{Maus}}'': Vladek's sister-in-law learns that the Jews in her town are being rounded up and shipped out to the camps, so she kills herself with poison... and takes the children in her care, including Vladek's first son, with her, insisting that her children will not die in the camps. Also functions as a RealLife example.
61* ''Comicbook/TopTen'' has robot cop Joe Pi talk the disgraced superhero Atoman into killing himself rather than losing his powers and going to prison as a pedophile, where the villains he'd jailed would undoubtedly show him a very bad time. "[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome It turns out I am not suited to be a negotiator]]."
62* ''ComicBook/TransformersGeneration2'': Running out of energy battling [[Franchise/GIJoe Cobra]], Autobot Hot Spot explosively self-destructs to prevent the terrorist organization from [[ImportedAlienPhlebotinum reverse-engineering his body for their tech]] like they've done to other [[MechanicalLifeforms Cybertronians]] in the past.
63* Happens to a mook who attempts to assassinate Ozymandias in ''Comicbook/{{Watchmen}}''. Turns out the guy wasn't actually willing to die for the cause, but Ozymandias ordered the hit upon himself and then forced the capsule into the mook's mouth during the struggle.
64* Comicbook/{{Wolverine}} offers this option to Mystique out in the desert at the end of the post-''[=Messiah CompleX=]'' comic ''Get Mystique''--either take the gun with one bullet he leaves next to her and put herself out of her misery, or slowly bleed out to death from getting stabbed in the side by his claws before she can reach medical help.
65* In ''ComicBook/AllFallDown'', Siphon chooses this when she realizes she can't stop AIQ Squared from killing the Pantheon from inside its deathtrap.
66* In the ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'' book ''Recap/TintinLandOfBlackGold'', Dr. Muller attempts to shoot himself in the head to avoid being captured... but his gun (which was given to him by [[RoyalBrat Abdullah]]) turns out to only squirt ink.
67* A non-fatal version of this becomes a recurring gag in some of the ''ComicBook/{{Asterix}}'' books involving the pirates that Asterix and Obelix often encounter in their travels; certain stories feature the pirates, upon realising that the aforementioned Gauls are on the ship they're about to attack, decide to scuttle their own ship themselves, reasoning that destroying it themselves spares them a few knocks and amounts to the same thing in the end. This becomes particularly amusing in tales such as ''Recap/AsterixAtTheOlympicGames'' and ''Recap/AsterixAndTheMagicCarpet'', when the pirates scuttle ship when the Gauls weren't going to attack them (in the first case, attacking the pirates would have increased the costs of their current hired boat, and in the second the Gauls were just looking for food).
68* In ''ComicBook/SerenityLeavesOnTheWind'', the Operative surrenders rather than fight another Parliamentary operative, Kalista. She asks him how he prefers to die, and he says, "Honorably." She allows him to take up his sword so he may fall on it. [[spoiler:Which is when ''Serenity'' shows up with [[BigDamnHeroes a small army of New Resistance browncoats.]]]]
69* A ''ComicBook/WerewolfByNight'' story set in TheDeepSouth features a group of people with anti-werewolf beliefs, who have harassed a local werewolf girl for years. They do so again when [[PunnyName Jack Russell]] is there to witness it, not knowing he is a werewolf too -- one can change at will, no less. Jack transforms, and one of the men is so terrified he turns his shotgun on himself.
70* ''ComicBook/{{Aquila}}'': Nero takes advantage of Aquila fighting a guard to give himself a painless poison that will also salvage his soul from Ammit's clutches. Aquila, however, gets to him before the poison finishes its work and kills him quite painfully.
71* During Orion Asante's reign in ''ComicBook/{{Grendel}}'', "Death before undeath" was part of the creed of his elite warriors. Battling vampires, they were conditioned and obligated to kill themselves immediately if infected.
72* ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'': Defied by the Justice Department. They actually have a special morgue to store the bodies of criminals who might one day be revived thanks to future advances in medicine. Not even death is an escape from the Law.
73* ''ComicBook/{{Raptors}}'': When the vampires attacked Don Molina's castle, his wife Dona Anna set herself on fire in front of their enemies rather than give them the pleasure of letting them kill her.
74* Played with in an issue of ''ComicBook/AmericanFlagg'': Reuben Flagg hits a terrorist in the face, inadvertently breaking the poison capsule she had concealed in her mouth. Before she dies, she complains that he robbed her of the chance to prove she had the guts to bite it herself.
75* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'' [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Vol 1]]:
76** When ComicBook/{{Cheetah}} realizes that Wonder Woman escaped her Death Trap and has tracked her down she jumps into a fire rather than be captured. While she was at the time considering death preferable to being publicly outed as a supervillain and defeated by Wonder Woman she ended up using the opportunity to escape instead.
77** When Diana and ComicBook/SteveTrevor manage to capture the Saturnians' submarine-spaceship by tying the magic lasso to its nose and then to Diana's CoolPlane most of the Saturnians choose to leap to their deaths rather than be captured.
78* ''ComicBook/BatmanBlackAndWhite'': In "Fat City," a freak accident gives a puddle of grease sentience, and it becomes a monster that kills people by [[VampiricDraining sucking all of the fat from their bodies]]. Every attempt to kill the creature fails until Batman gets help from Chloe Willow, "Gotham's fattest woman." The plan is for her to be TheBait for the beast, which Batman will then kill from a distance using a phosphorous bomb. But when the grease monster shows up early and starts attacking more civilians, Chloe takes the bomb from Batman. She explains that her heart is failing, with doctors warning her that her death is only days away. Instead of going slowly or letting herself be sucked dry, though, she opts to [[HeroicSacrifice blow herself and the monster up]], reasoning "At least I can go knowing I took this fat ''freak'' with me!" Batman praises Chloe for her courage and swings away, leaving her to detonate the bomb and save all of Gotham in her final moments.
79** Another, more villainous example comes in a story narrated by "Do-Boy," a small-time thug who is rising up the Penguin's ranks. He's determined to go out in a blaze of glory by standing up to Batman, and when it seems like all is lost, he jumps for a window, reasoning that at least he can say he died rather than let the Caped Crusader take him to prison, or worse. Unfortunately, Batman's [[ThouShallNotKill no-killing rule]] kicks in, and he saves Do-Boy--though it's clear that the Dark Knight ''knew'' what the crook was trying to do and takes special delight in cheating him of his dream.
80[[/folder]]
81
82[[folder:Comic Strips]]
83* ''ComicStrip/ModestyBlaise'':
84** In "Uncle Happy", the villain kills his wife/co-conspirator and then himself as the police close in.
85** Granny Smythe, the BigBad of "The Last Aristocrat", has her BattleButler shoot her rather than be captured by the Italian authorities. This also part of a ThanatosGambit.
86[[/folder]]
87
88[[folder:Films — Animation]]
89* ''WesternAnimation/BarbieAndTheDiamondCastle'': In a NeverSayDie version, Melody, the only one who knows the key to the Diamond Castle and who happens to be trapped in a mirror, shatters the mirror rather than let the castle fall into the [[VainSorceress villain's]] hands, in essence trapping herself in the mirror forever. She gets better.
90* In a subversion of the usual DisneyVillainDeath seen in other movies where the death tends to be accidental, the [[HateSink Lord Protector]] from ''WesternAnimation/{{Wolfwalkers}}'', while being dangled precariously over a river with a bunch of spiky rocks at the bottom by the protagonist's father, chooses to loosen his breastplate armor and fall on his own accord rather than be thrown in.
91[[/folder]]
92
93[[folder:Music]]
94* In the Music/{{Set It Off|Band}} song "Partners in Crime", the female half of a Bonnie and Clyde style couple claims in the chorus "They'll never take us alive". After the couple is gunned down in a shoot-out with the police and are bleeding out on the ground, she practically boasts to the cops who shot them that "you never took us alive." In the music video, they're so badly outgunned (all they have is a single snub-nose revolver between the two of them, while all of the police have at least their service pistol) that it borders on the SuicideByCop variation.
95* "Waltzing Matilda", often considered Australia's unofficial national anthem, is about a "swagman" who steals a sheep. Lawmen subsequently catch up with him as he's setting up camp by a waterhole, and rather than be captured he jumps in and drowns.
96* In the Music/{{Macabre}} song "The Sweet Tendor Meat Vendor" ends with the Meat Vendor killing himself to avoid being executed for his crimes.
97* In "Yankee and the Brave (ep 4)" by Music/RunTheJewels, Killer Mike decides that this is his fate before El-P implores him to [[RunOrDie run]] instead.
98-->I got one round left, a hunnid cops outside\
99I could shoot at 'em or put one between my eyes\
100Chose the latter, it don't matter, it ain't suicide\
101If if the news say it was, that's a goddamn lie\
102I can't let the pigs kill me, I got too much pride\
103And I meant it when I said it, never take me alive
104[[/folder]]
105
106[[folder:Podcasts]]
107* Believe it or not, in the French Platform/MP3 saga ''Les Aventuriers du Survivaure'', the Captain actually says "Better to die than to die!". Lampshaded would be an understatement: he can NeverLiveItDown. Actually, the OnlySaneMan lampshades it just in time to prevent the captain from saying it ''again''.
108[[/folder]]
109
110[[folder:Roleplay]]
111* Almost played straight, then averted completely in ''Roleplay/ShadowhunterPeril'': When Umbra's physical form is destroyed by Lilith, he is sent back to Hell in the presence of all his demon brothers and sister, who, unlike him, are completely evil. Asmodeus, Umbra's eldest half-brother and the King of Hell, offers Umbra the chance to give them information about the Resistance before Umbra gets his punishment (which is likely to be a long, torturous death). Umbra responds with this:
112--> ''"God? You think I'm doing this for God? I don't even know if God exists, but if He does... ever since He can remember, people have died in His good name. Long before that September. Long before hijacking planes. He's lost the will, He can't decide. He doesn't know who's right or wrong, but there's one thing that He's sure of: This has been going on too long. I do this for my friends. And yes, I HAVE FRIENDS. Good people, who were thrust into this mortal conflict you demons have interfered with. I do this for them. And I will not betray my friends."''
113** He ends up being tortured by demons, only to be rescued by Arthur, a fallen angel.
114*** His speech is also a ShoutOut to Music/LilyAllen, for some reason.
115* Towards the end of ''Roleplay/SurvivalOfTheFittest V1'', two characters are involved in a car chase across the island. At the culmination of this chase, one has been killed, and the other - Jeremy Torres has crashed his car into the side of a warehouse, which at the time, is a dangerzone. Rather than allowing himself to be killed up by his collar, the barely living character shoots himself as a final act of defiance. [[EveryCarIsAPinto His car then blows up]], igniting chemicals in the warehouse and resulting in a massive explosion.
116** And near the end of V3, Quincy Archer takes one look at his sword, remembers that most of the remaining students have guns now, and promptly slits his own throat.
117[[/folder]]
118
119[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
120* In ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', there is a spell called Unconquerable Self - it burns the person casting it, their possessions, and any artifacts attuned to them to ash. It requires no words, gestures or components to cast, making it useful if one were taken prisoner, for example. It also directly sends your soul to Heaven, preventing any form of [[SoulJar soul trapping]] or other mystical enslavement.
121* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
122** Suicide is an acceptable end for disgraced officers of the Imperial Guard, as well as an acceptable option for individuals who are [[TouchedByVorlons touched by the Warp]].
123** Defied by Space Marines, who live to fight and are only content dying on the field of battle. The only time they'll consider playing this trope straight is if it involves [[TakingYouWithMe strapping grenades to themselves and charging forward]].
124** In an amusing subversion, the Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer expressly orders Guardsmen to ''not'' commit suicide, at least without authorization and ''certainly'' not wasting valuable ammunition to do so without authorization. The penalty for ''attempting'' to commit suicide is death. The penalty of committing suicide without authorization is having your body incinerated and the ashes shot into space, and then sending the bill to your next of kin.
125** The IG also have a "For Their Own Good" rule that basically means that if a sanctioned psyker suffers a Perils of the Warp attack within range of a Commissar, they are immediately shot and killed.
126** It's also a much-preferred alternative to being [[FateWorseThanDeath taken alive by the Dark Eldar or the Emperor's Children]].
127** Arguably the rationale behind Exterminatus -- basically assisted suicide on a planetary scale. It is typically performed on worlds that have been, or are in danger of being, overwhelmed by Chaos, Tyranids, or Necrons; through this, the resources (human and otherwise) are kept from the enemy, and the people are spared further suffering.
128* One High Elf King in ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'' jumped overboard and drowned himself rather than be taken by Dark Elves when his ship was captured. Considering that Dark Elves make Chaos Warriors look benevolent this was probably justified.
129* In ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse'', a Garou that gets Embraced by a Kindred gets a chance to make a none-too-difficult roll to die rather than be reborn as a creature of the night. Those that refuse, or fail anyway, become {{Hybrid Monster}}s called Abominations, and there are undesirable consequences both socially and metaphysically for them should they not redeem themselves by going out in a blaze of glory as soon as possible.
130* Every single Infernoid in the ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh TCG'' share an effect that allows you to Tribute an Infernoid during either player's turn to some effect, mainly disrupting the Graveyard. This includes the effect's user himself, which means they can suicide at any time, dodging many nasty effects from your opponent.
131[[/folder]]
132
133[[folder:Theatre]]
134* Several variations in the plays of Creator/WilliamShakespeare:
135** Discussed, but averted in ''Theatre/{{Macbeth}}'' - "Why should I play the Roman fool, and die on mine own sword? Whiles I see lives, the gashes do better upon them."
136** Played straight in ''Theatre/AntonyAndCleopatra'', where both title characters commit suicide to avoid humiliation and death after their armies are defeated.
137** ''Four times'' in ''Theatre/JuliusCaesar''. The last one was done by Brutus, who ran himself upon a sword held by his comrade because Brutus' Stoic philosophy expressly forbade him to commit suicide but he could see no other way out.
138** Invoked by Gratiano in ''Theatre/TheMerchantOfVenice'', when Portia tells Shylock to "beg mercy of the Duke": "Beg that thou mayst have leave to hang thyself!"
139* ''Theatre/CesareIlCreatoreCheHaDistrutto'' -- The traitor [[spoiler: Draghignazzo]] knows that once he's been found out, he'll only be tortured, so he takes advantage of his own PoisonRing.
140* In ''Freud's Last Session'' UsefulNotes/SigmundFreud tells Creator/CSLewis that he plans to kill himself because he has a horrific case of oral cancer, forcing him to wear an ill-fitting prosthesis; the disease is causing him great pain and is slowly killing him.
141* In ''Theatre/{{Tamburlaine}}'': Agydas.
142* Puccini's ''Theatre/{{Tosca}}''. After killing the villain, the heroine is cornered by the villain's lackeys; she jumps off a high balcony to her death, rather than let the lackeys execute her.
143* In Seneca's version of ''The Trojan Women'', the child Astyanax jumps from the battlements of Troy before he can be thrown from them.
144* Another Puccini example: Liu's death in ''Theatre/{{Turandot}}''. Rather than be tortured and possibly killed by Turandot's guards, she grabs one of their daggers and does herself in.
145[[/folder]]
146
147[[folder:Visual Novels]]
148* Garrick Pierce from ''VisualNovel/TyrionCuthbertAttorneyOfTheArcane'' is revealed to have thought this, towards the end of Case 5. Rather than face execution for his earlier murder, be killed by Celeste as part of Eris' scheme, or be taken out by Aster for knowing that Celeste is a dragon, he decides to commit suicide so he can die by his own hand.
149[[/folder]]
150
151[[folder:Web Animation]]
152* In the Volume 8 finale of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', [[spoiler:the Winter Maiden]] is mortally wounded, and asks [[spoiler:Jaune]] to finish her off so that she can ensure her magic goes to the person she chooses, rather than [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt the person who wounded her]]. He reluctantly fulfills her request.
153[[/folder]]
154
155[[folder:Web Comics]]
156* One ''Webcomic/CyanideAndHappiness'' [[http://i.imgur.com/z9JR7Tm.png comic]] has a prisoner about to be executed. He gets out of it by requesting a peanut butter and jelly sandwich as his [[PrisonersLastMeal last meal]] due to his peanut allergies. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) [[https://www.quora.com/If-you-are-on-death-row-are-you-allowed-to-request-a-meal-that-you-are-allergic-to this wouldn't fly in real life.]]
157* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}'': During his fight against Kore, Forgath is grievously wounded and about to be killed by the cursed paladin, [[spoiler:who at this point has lost his helmet and is revealed to be an HumanoidAbomination with the face of his previous victims embedded in his own. By now convinced that his very soul is in danger]], Forgath choose instead to die by dropping from the very high bridge they were fighting on.
158-->'''Forgath:''' I'm willing to die, but you can't have my soul.
159* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', destroying the Gates -- dimensional barriers keeping [[EldritchAbomination the Snarl]] from destroying all that exists -- is actually regarded as a superior alternative to allowing them to fall into the hands of Xykon, but is only halfway this trope: the reasoning behind that if the gate is destroyed, the Snarl will not come out immediately and in full force and said gate can be rebuilt later. While if it is knowingly summoned through one of them, the end of the world will be imminent.
160%%* Averted in [[http://danielscreations.com/ola/comics/ep0215.html this comic]] of ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure''.
161* In issue 10 of ''Webcomic/{{Sonichu}}'', AuthorAvatar Chris and his "band" the Hedgehog Boys (which are pretty much some of the various Sonichus around in his series) use a song to destroy the [[Website/FourChan 4-cent Garbage]] building, two [[{{Troll}} "villains"]] who are left behind, Clyde Cash and Jack Thaddeus, opt to leap down an elevator shaft holding hands (they were apparently lovers) than let Chris kill them. It was actually pretty touching.
162* ''Webcomic/StandStillStaySilent'':
163** One of the book salvaging spots, which is a barricaded room, contains a corpse in a HazmatSuit holding a gun, with a small hole its visor.
164** [[spoiler:Tuuri commits suicide when she finds out she has come down with [[ThePlague the Rash]].]]
165* ''Webcomic/SurvivingRomance'': Protagonist Chaerin occasionally makes use of this to immediately rectify some mistakes due to being stuck in a GroundhogDayLoop. The earliest example is when Jeha believes her to be a psychopath after killing the infected Seungwon and she casually jumps out of the window.
166* Inverted in ''Webcomic/TheWarriorReturns''. Dohoon knows that he has little time left and that his health is bound to decline due to his RapidAging. So he spends his remaining lifespan attempting to strike down Minsu for the sake of his parents and the world, reasoning it would be better to die this way than to become a burden on his already grieving parents.
167[[/folder]]
168
169[[folder:Websites]]
170* ''Website/SCPFoundation'', [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1341 SCP-1341 ("JUNGLE IN A JAR")]]. During an experiment with SCP-1341, the jungle it creates takes over the testing facility and traps the experimenters, killing most of them. The last survivor says [[ThatWasTheLastEntry in the last entry in his experimental log]] that he's going to commit suicide rather than let an enemy kill him.
171* The ''Website/{{Snopes}}'' [[http://www.snopes.com/military/flagball.asp version]] of the "Flagpole ball has a pistol for suicide" {{Urban Legend|s}}.
172[[/folder]]
173
174[[folder:Web Videos]]
175* In the fifth episode of ''Franchise/DragonAge: WebAnimation/WardensFall'', Cyril — who was working for [[HumanoidAbomination the Mother]] and had led numerous refugees to their deaths — opts to leap off a roof rather than be interrogated by Kristoff, the main character. His terror at meeting one of The Mother's servants in an earlier episode suggests he was afraid of what the Mother would do to him.
176* In Creator/TomSka's short film ''WebVideo/HitIt'', John states that he only attempted suicide because [[spoiler:he was being threatened with someone who had resources to kill him and his girlfriend]].
177* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic is very suicidal in WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee, but refuses to hand himself over to be tortured and killed by Turrell and Zod, preferring instead to drive into the PlotHole and be at peace that way. Seeing how pathetic Turrell is, it's not hard to see where he's coming from.
178* This is a common way for [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos the Slender Man's]] victims to die, and [[FateWorseThanDeath very,]] ''[[AndIMustScream very]]'' much preferable to being taken. It has been demonstrated [[WebVideo/TribeTwelve several]] [[Blog/HikingFiend times]] that this doesn't always work [[spoiler:and, more chillingly, ''[[BackFromTheDead it's completely pointless.]]'']]
179* In on of ''[[LetsPlay/{{Dream}} Dream's]]'' videos, during a 1v3 Minecraft Manhunt, in the Nether, this trope is what the hunters thought happened when [[spoiler:Dream leaps into a lava lake. What actually happened was Dream was drinking a Fire Resistance potion during his fall. The funny thing is, [[TooDumbToLive one of the hunters actually leapt in the lava pool with him before dying]] and the trio of hunters realizing what just happened.]]
180[[/folder]]
181
182[[folder:Western Animation]]
183* Princess Bubblebum from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime'' keeps cyanide-laced gum under the table in her meeting room, and advises another character to eat it if raiders break in. Yes, ''really''.
184* In the ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' episode "Unmasked", after Batman defeats all his mooks, the leader of Kobra throws himself into his own [[SharkPool cobra pit]].
185* ''WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017'': In Season 4, Issac storms Carmilla's castle, overwhelms her forces, and finally corners and repeatedly injures her. Being DefiantToTheEnd, she refuses to give him the satisfaction of killing her, instead promising to [[SeeYouInHell wait for him in Hell]] before stabbing herself in the heart.
186** In an earlier episode, two of the vampire Chō's former PraetorianGuard recount how she used to toy with her victims. One of them, a would-be vampire killer come to slay her, attempted to commit ritual suicide to maintain his honor. Chō stopped him, and gave him a dishonorable death for her own amusement.
187* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987'': Played with in "[[Recap/DuckTalesS1E53HeroForHire Hero for Hire]]". Launchpad yells to the cops that "you'll never take me alive!", but he's really setting up FakingTheDead.
188* ''WesternAnimation/FollowTheSun'': A bag of popcorn, faced with the situation of their brethren worshipping an incoming heatwave as a god, decides to instead [[EyeScream stab themselves repeatedly in the eye]].
189* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'':
190** In Episode 77, Stumpy decides to hang himself when he finds out that the planet is going to be destroyed. Of course, [[BungledSuicide he fails]] [[RunningGag as usual]].
191** In Episode 215, Mr. Cat convinces everyone in Smileyland that the end of the world is happening that day, causing multiple background characters to commit suicide before the apocalypse can get them. Of course, being ''Kaeloo'', this is PlayedForLaughs.
192* Played for laughs in the ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon "Life With Feathers". Sylvester refuses to eat a suicidal bird because he thinks the bird is poisoned. The bird cajoles Sylvester with a cooking radio show and a cookbook until Sylvester, virtually skin and bones, gives in.
193-->'''Sylvester:''' All right... I'll do it. I'd rather die than starve to death!
194* Double subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' episode "Night of the Living Homeless" -- When a scientist tries to kill himself before the homeless break down the door to his lab, he ends up non-fatally shooting himself in the head several times before finally hitting the mark.
195* At the end of season 3 of the ''Comicbook/{{Spawn}}'' animated series, Sam and Twitch give Chief Banks the choice of either killing himself or be disgraced once his link with Jason Wynn is exposed to the public and having his family dragged into such a dirty mess. Chief Banks chooses to kill himself.
196* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': In [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E13FireAcrossTheGalaxy "Fire Across the Galaxy"]], the Inquisitor, after being defeated by Kanan, accepts his death calmly and falls to his demise, rather than facing the wrath of Darth Vader.
197-->'''Inquisitor:''' You have no idea what you've unleashed here today. There are some things far more frightening than death.
198* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsResistance'': In [[Recap/StarWarsResistanceS1E5TheChildrenFromTehar "The Children from Tehar"]], the older of the titular kids, Kel, expresses this sentiment when the First Order tries to capture him and his sister, before they apparently jump to their deaths in the ocean below the Colossus. However, it turns out to be a FakingTheDead ploy Kaz came up with to save the kids.
199* In ''WesternAnimation/ToadPatrol'', Elf Cup, Fur Foot, and Puffball get stranded on a rock in the middle of a pond in "Castaway". A hungry fish stalks the waters below, and then Medea, the show's angry hungry hawk, flies in and starts slowly circling in on the group. All hope seems lost, and Elf Cup says this:
200-->'''Elf Cup:''' Oh, maybe we should just throw ourselves into the chilly wet.
201[[/folder]]

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