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6[[quoteright:298:[[Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/defeat_equals_explosion_buggzy_5981.jpg]]]]
7[[caption-width-right:298:We lose more monsters that way.]]
8
9->''"If I become an evil genius, I'll keep in mind not to replace my blood with nitroglycerin, hydrogen or any other flammable thing, I don't wanna die exploding like the bosses of Ninja Gaiden."''
10-->-- '''Payasoplas''', on ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden''
11
12Sometimes an enemy being defeated... [[StuffBlowingUp explodes]]. Not metaphorically like in the VillainousBreakdown sense, but in a literal, physical explosion.
13
14In the case of robots, this could be [[JustifiedTrope justified]], as the defeat could cause them to short circuit and the spark to ignite their fuel, but it is not limited to robots. It happens with characters who are not specifically stated to be robots, and in some cases are implied to be organic in some way or another. One would expect that this trope would be combined with ActionBomb more often to weaponize their imminent demise, but the two tropes rarely seem to go hand-in-hand (although not completely absent either). This might be because forcing the heroes to relocate the enemy someplace safer where environment and bystanders wouldn't be harmed would get old fast if it applied to all enemy deaths, thus killing the tension and drama at climax of combat.
15
16Having every enemy explode upon death was more common in the 3[[superscript:rd]] and 4[[superscript:th]] generation of console gaming, when it was mainly done to avoid drawing death animations. This is also an effect of [[YouAreAlreadyDead being already dead]].
17
18This trope arguably saw its inclusion in popular culture via {{Toku}}satsu programs of the '60s and '70s, especially those of the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'', where this is a particularly common way for a defeated {{Kaiju}} to meet their end.
19
20See also DeadMansSwitch, ExplosiveOverclocking, PostDefeatExplosionChain, LoadBearingBoss, and NoBodyLeftBehind. Can be a reason there's NotEnoughToBury. Contrast WhyAmITicking for when a character is turned into a bomb (which may or may not result in their defeat). Subtrope of MadeOfExplodium. Not to be confused with OutWithABang, which involves dying in a more... pleasurable way. Can overlap with TechnicolorDeath.
21----
22!!Examples:
23
24[[foldercontrol]]
25
26[[folder:Advertising]]
27* Commercials for Raid pesticides had cartoon roaches explode (cartoon star-and-smoke explosions in the old ones, CG smoke wisps in the new) after being sprayed, usually after screaming [[OhCrap "RAAAAIIID?!"]]
28[[/folder]]
29
30[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
31* The Akumas in ''Manga/DGrayMan'' always explode regardless of what weapon the exorcists use. Do you shoot Akuma with oversized guns? They explode. Do you kick them with magic boots? They explode. Do you bludgeon them? They explode. Do you [[OurVampiresAreDifferent suck all of the Akuma's blood out?]] They explode. Do you kick a bell at them like a soccer ball? They explode.
32* Zizaged throughout ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}''. There are moments where the enemy explodes due to certain attacks (i.e missiles, laser beams, etc), but other times, after being defeated, the enemy simply disintegrates into data.
33* ''Anime/DragonBallZ'': This happens a lot; [[KiManipulation Ki Attacks]] often obliterate targets they kill, but several times character explode after purely physical attacks. Even back in ''Dragon Ball'', Demon King Piccolo exploded after Goku [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice punched a hole through him]]. Lampshaded in ''WebVideo/DragonBallAbridged'' by Creator/TeamFourStar:
34-->''[Vegeta hits the ground, large explosion. Later, he crawls out]''\
35'''Vegeta:''' ''[gasping for air]'' Why did I explode?
36* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'': This is the fate of any mook (and the odd villain) who gets killed with Hokuto Shinken, except with blood and guts (or just liquid light in the anime).
37* In the climax of ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist: Brotherhood,'' [[BigBad Father]] has his whole chest explode after being [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice punched through there]] by [[TheHero Edward Elric]], releasing all the souls he absorbed.
38* ''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'':
39** It has an odd variation in nearly every series: ships will almost always completely explode if destroyed onscreen. But at the same time, scenes of past battles will always have the wrecked hulks of ships that ''didn't'' explode when they were sunk.
40** ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'': While UC mobile suits often don't explode when defeated, in AC, they will explode upon defeat, no matter how little damage the suit apparently took. In one infamous early scene, a [[MookMobile Leo]] mobile suit even exploded after a [[{{BFG}} Buster Rifle]] shot ''missed it''.
41* Destroying a Heterodyne's [[AttackItsWeakPoint Fractal Knot]] in ''Anime/DaiGuard'' will either cause it to dissolve or explode.
42* ''Every'' robot made by the Big Cheese in ''Anime/SamuraiPizzaCats'', usually after a fight with Speedy Service delivering a CleanCut with his '''[[InfinityPlusOneSword MAAAAAGICAL GIN-SHU SWOOOORD]]'''.
43* In ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' Kira's Ayakashisenshi-hen, Rika and Satoko make this happen to the Ritual Tool Devil Nail Ripper after hitting it with 07th Explosion. The resulting explosion sends Takano flying and makes her become ATwinkleInTheSky.
44* As seen above with Bugzzy, this happens to almost every MonsterOfTheWeek that appears in ''Anime/KirbyRightBackAtYa''. However, this didn't happen to all of them.
45* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'':
46** When the Angel's cores are destroyed, they explode and leave a lake of red gunk: specifically, this happens to the 3rd, 6th, 7th, and 10th Angels; however, quite a few of the angels did not explode, including several that looked like they were going to from the way they were killed. One of the early Angels left behind a corpse when it was killed that over the next few episodes was shown being removed piece by piece because its size and structure made it impossible to remove it whole altogether. [[FridgeBrilliance While this illustrates why this trope is useful in stories with giant monsters]], [[FridgeHorror one can imagine how littered with giant bodies the cities would be if shows like]] ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' [[FridgeHorror didn't do this]], [[FridgeLogic let alone why they didn't just use the giant robots to move the bodies]].
47** In ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'', defeating an Angel combines cross-shaped explosions with LudicrousGibs, [[EverythingsBetterWithRainbows creating a rainbow]].
48* A law of nature for ninjas in ''Literature/NinjaSlayer'', [[AllThereintheManual due to the]] [[AwesomenessIsVolatile burning power]] of their [[SoulPower ninja soul. ]]
49* In ''Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt'', every Ghost defeated by Panty and Stocking explodes, with a cut to a [[StylisticSuck cheesy]] live-action model of the Ghost being blown up with pyrotechnics. This becomes plot-relevant in episode 8 when Panty and Stocking are on trial for murdering a ghost named Mr. Husband Petter. Their monkey defense attorney points out that the victim didn't explode as he would have if he had been killed by the Anarchy Sisters, and that the marks on the body give away the real murderer as [[spoiler:Mrs. Petter]]. Also, in episode 13, [[spoiler:[[ScaryBlackMan Garterbelt]] and [[BigBad Corset]] explode the same way when killed, with Garterbelt even ''un-exploding'' when he is brought back to life, complete with a reversed DeathCryEcho]].
50* ''Anime/SailorMoon'': Most [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters of the Week]] end up this way, particularly in Series 1. Or crumbling to dust, but mostly after exploding in a flash of light.
51* Parodied in ''Manga/SgtFrog'', where Viper explodes for no real reason after being defeated by the Keroro Platoon.
52* Happens to Radam monsters in ''Anime/TekkamanBlade''.
53* This is what happens to pretty much any enemy that is defeated in ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann''. Deconstructed in the second half of the show, where the Anti-Spiral mechs [[XanatosGambit drop bombs]] [[ThanatosGambit when they are destroyed]], [[TakingYouWithMe causing even more damage when they are defeated]].
54* {{Robeast}}s in ''Anime/{{Voltron}}'' go boom after [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe being sliced in half.]] Hell, nearly ''any'' Robeast killed by a {{Super Robot|Genre}}.
55* In ''Anime/YuGiOh'', any monster that gets hit by a powerful attack explodes. Sometimes, the monster simply shatters; other times, there's lots of accompanying smoke and fire. Later, they explode 95% of the time in all the spin-offs.
56[[/folder]]
57
58[[folder:Comic Books]]
59* ''ComicBook/AtomicRobo'': The Biomega {{Kaiju}} explode spectacularly when killed. In fact, this is actually the only way to ''know'' they're dead; if they "die" but don't explode ''Franchise/PowerRangers''-style, they're not actually dead, just powering down to [[HealingFactor heal]]. This becomes a plot point later on when [[spoiler:[[TheMenInBlack Majestic-12]] try to take over protecting the world after forcing Tesladyne to shut down; due to their egotism, incompetence, and lack of knowledge about the supernatural, Majestic-12 assume the Biomegas to be dead whenever they stop moving after taking sufficient damage and just leave the bodies to rot. The Biomegas proceed to heal and reactivate, turning a string of easily-contained individual Kaiju attacks into a single massively destructive ''mass'' Kaiju attack.]]
60* ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'':
61-->"Oh my God! The Parasite has split ComicBook/CaptainAtom open! He's split him ope--"
62* ''ComicBook/{{Nextwave}}'':
63-->"They explode? My life has taken on new meaning."
64[[/folder]]
65
66[[folder:Fan Works]]
67* This seems to be the case whenever a diary owner in ''WebVideo/MiraiNikkiTheAbridgedSeries'' dies.
68* Happened to Evil Digimon in ''Creator/PeterChimaera'' 's Digimon trilogy.
69* In the ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'', [[spoiler:[[BigBad Loneliness]]]] explodes when she's defeated. [[spoiler:Twice. The second blast destroying what's left of her.]] Possibly justified, since [[spoiler:Trixie defeated her in her own mind, and is known to have a flair for the dramatic]].
70* ''Fanfic/ThePowerOfTheEquinox'': While saving [[spoiler:Scootaloo]] from the WillOTheWisp, [[spoiler:Zecora]] throws at the fae salt and wrought iron shavings, causing it to explode in colorful flames.
71[[/folder]]
72
73[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
74* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'', after [[HeelFaceTurn Iago]] [[SoulJar knocks his lamp into a lava pit and it melts away to nothing]], Jafar goes through [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath an intense death scene]] which ends with him combusting.
75* ''WesternAnimation/{{How to Train Your Dragon|2010}}'': The Red Death is shot in the mouth by a plasma blast from Toothless, which ignites its own rather massive reserves of flammables. Combined with an uncontrolled descent face-first into the ground, physics turns it into a very big boom.
76* Near the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'', the Omnidroid v.10 falls over after its defeat. It then spontaneously explodes into powder (the actual fireball is barely bigger than the robot itself).
77* This is how the antagonist in ''WesternAnimation/MonsterHouse'' is destroyed. If you tried killing it any other way, the house would just reconstruct itself.
78* In the Creator/JetlagProductions version of Theatre/TheNutcracker after the Nutcracker stabs the seven headed Mouse King he staggers and holds his wound for a few seconds before he explodes, leaving nothing left but his seven crowns.
79[[/folder]]
80
81[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
82* In ''Film/BatmanTheMovie'', the Penguin rigs all his deadly sea beasts to do this by feeding them explosives.
83* In ''Film/BigTroubleInLittleChina'', [[spoiler:when Thunder finds Lo Pan dead]], he is so enraged that his body swells up and he explodes. Sadly, a bit of a SpecialEffectFailure at the same time.
84* The giant octopus in ''Film/BrideOfTheMonster''. The ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' crew did not fail to notice the humor.
85-->'''Servo:''' That was one unstable octopus!
86* In the Creator/WesCraven film ''Film/{{Cursed|2005}}'', when the werewolf who infected all the other major characters dies, he inexplicably explodes in a burst of greenish energy.
87* ''Film/DoubleTeam'': In perhaps one of the most awesome endings to an action film: The Bad Guy (played by Creator/MickeyRourke) is left standing on an armed mine, with a Tiger, in the middle of a Colosseum. Just as the Tiger is about to claw him, he steps off, where the whole place explodes. Completing the total madness, Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme, Dennis Rodman, and the actor who played Belloq [[OutrunTheFireball outrun the ensuing fireball]], hiding behind a Coke machine, while carrying a baby!
88* Some of the ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' films have the enemy monster explode after the titular monster kills them. The early films don't do this, however. Most of the monsters don't so much "explode when they die" so much as "get hit with a breath blast so ferocious it rips them into flaming debris"... except Megaguirus. She gets set aflame with an atomic blast, falls out of the sky... and then her entire body explodes when it hits the ground.
89* In ''Film/{{Green Lantern|2011}}'', [[spoiler:Parallax explodes repeatedly when Hal Jordan literally punches him into the Sun]].
90* In ''Film/LogansRun'', when the city-controlling computer crashes due to a LogicBomb, it starts exploding and ends up destroying the entire city.
91* ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'': Sauron explodes with the force of a tactical nuke after Isildur cuts the ring from his hand in the prologue of ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', flooring basically everyone across the battlefield with the shockwave. [[spoiler:And again in ''[[Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheReturnOfTheKing The Return of the King]]'' when the Ring is destroyed, only much bigger since it ends up taking out his giant ominous tower of Barad-dûr and [[LoadBearingBoss starts the very collapse]] of {{Mordor}} itself.]]
92* In the final fight of ''Film/MercuryMan'', [[spoiler:Areena explodes after Mercury Man nails her with a flaming flying knee]].
93* ''Film/MortalKombatTheMovie'': When Johnny Cage manages to vanquish Scorpion, the latter's head explodes, quickly followed by the rest of his body.
94* The leech mutant explodes shortly after its defeat in ''Film/TheReturnOfSwampThing''.
95* ''[[Film/SaviourOfTheSoul Saviour of the Soul II]]'': The Clown King explodes into a LudicrousGibs after being impaled through the midsection.
96* In the climax of ''Film/{{Stardust}}'', Lamia explodes from a blinding flash of starlight.
97* ''Franchise/StarWars VI: Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'': Emperor Palpatine apparently explodes on impact after being thrown down a reactor shaft at the climax of the film, likely due to him incontinently spraying lightning near complex machinery. [[spoiler:Doesn't stop him from re-appearing in ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'', but then again, the body we see him in at that time is that of a clone.]]
98[[/folder]]
99
100[[folder:Gamebooks]]
101* ''Literature/FightingFantasy'': The deity in ''Literature/SpaceAssassin'' inexplicably blows up after its defeat. The problem is, the explosion doesn't happen immediately, and is delayed; [[SchmuckBait you are given a chance to search his body]], and if you choose that option, the body will suddenly go '''KABOOM''' right next to you taking away a large chunk of your life meter.
102* ''Literature/LoneWolf'': In ''Castle Death'', among the numerous weird creatures of Kazan-Oud, there is [[https://www.projectaon.org/en/xhtml/lw/07cd/ill19.htm a hideous brain-like floating sphere]] that tries to paralyze Lone Wolf psychically. Inflicting any wound to it, whether with an arrow or through cutting its attack tendril, results in a powerful, fiery explosion.
103[[/folder]]
104
105[[folder:Literature]]
106* In ''Literature/TheBlackMagicianTrilogy'', magicians usually die that way: all energy left in their body seeks to leave it at once, destroying the body at minimum and up to a city block. Black magicians avert this in their killings, as they usually [[VampiricDraining drain their victims dry]].
107%%* Demons in ''Literature/DarkHeavens''.
108* Draconians in the ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'' trilogy have different death effects. Baaz draconians turn to stone, Kapak turn into acid, and Bozak draconians explode. However, it's not the usual harmless RuleOfCool explosion, but [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome a violent fiery explosion that's potentially lethal enough to finish off the opponent.]]
109* Sauron in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' when his SoulJar the One Ring is destroyed.
110* Before the Prequel Trilogy came out, ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' almost universally had dead Jedi fade away while dead Dark Jedi or Sith exploded violently the way the Emperor did. Later it was retconned into a [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_side_burst power]] they had as a kind of TakingYouWithMe thing. In the ''Literature/HandOfThrawn'' duology, Mara Jade once makes this sardonic remark when she's in need of explosives.
111-->'''Mara Jade:''' Too bad we don't have a Dark Jedi handy we could kill. Remember that big blast when C'baoth died?
112[[/folder]]
113
114[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
115* Parodied in ''Series/Danger5'', when a female Nazi agent is thrown out of an airplane and explodes for no apparent reason.
116* Being the sister series to ''Franchise/SuperSentai'', it's no surprise that ''Franchise/KamenRider'' makes heavy use of this trope.
117** This is explained in early seasons as the MonsterOfTheWeek and {{Mooks}} being [[MadeOfExplodium equipped with self-destruction mechanisms]], to prevent leaving any evidence behind. However, little to no explanation is given for later productions. In their early days, SHOCKER's creations as well as their victims ended up dissolving instead of exploding. Possibly for budget reasons.
118** Inverted in ''Series/KamenRiderBlack'', where the monsters implode instead. Eventually Black gets an upgraded kick that plays it straight.
119** This was brutally applied in ''Series/KamenRiderKuuga'' wherein the title Rider's [[FinishingMove Rider Kick]] is enough to nuke a portion of the city when he does it unto a Grongi, necessitating luring the monster into an evacuated area before finishing him off. And theoretically, [[SuperMode Ultimate Form]] Kuuga's Rider Kick could [[EarthShatteringKaboom destroy the world]] [[EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt as we know it]].
120** In an earlier episode of Kuuga, Godai and Ichijou are genuinely surprised when that week's Grongi does ''not'' explode.
121** ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'' subverts this trope as the monsters are a race of vampires made from stained glass, called the Fangire. When they are defeated, they shatter into pieces instead of violently exploding.
122** ''Series/KamenRider555'' also subverts it. Monsters when they die instead break down into dust while burning [[TechnicolorFire blue flames]].
123** ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'' has it as a minor plot point, where the monsters' explosions would do massive damage, which forced Fourze to drag them into outer space before hitting them with his FinishingMove. His SuperMode made this exponentially easier, since it can generate [[OurWormholesAreDifferent wormholes]] leading to low Earth orbit.
124* ''Film/MessageFromSpace: [[RecycledTheSeries Galactic Wars]]'' has all major enemies explode. One even tries to destroy a MacGuffin with his death explosion.
125* Having the MonsterOfTheWeek eat the FinishingMove and go out with a fireball as the [[ThemeMusicPowerUp theme song plays]] is part and parcel of ''Series/MetalHeroes''.
126* In ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', sometimes [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ODKDPxLFzA the background explodes just because]] {{awesomeness|IsAForce}} [[AwesomenessIsVolatile is Volatile]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbEZSH5ogMo especially.]] And sometimes, the Rangers will turn and pose after the FinishingMove so the explosion behind them will ''look'' like one of these sequences.
127** At least once, doing that didn't pay off: once in ''Series/PowerRangersDinoThunder,'' they blast, then turn and pose... and the monster wasn't dead, and blasted the Rangers in the back. Also, despite this trope, ''every'' series will have the heroes think a monster is dead ''without'' seeing the customary kaboom at least once. This counts as GenreBlindness bordering on TooDumbToLive.
128** Sometimes, even if the monster does go boom, there's no guarantee that it's finished yet. The Hatchasaurus from the first series was one example. The Cardiotron inside it was able to reassemble the pieces of it even after it was blown to bits, and the Rangers couldn't destroy it until they destroyed ''that'' first.
129** Lampshaded by both Doubletone and Rhinosnorus in the ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'' episode "Party Monsters". Rhinosnorus even comments on how humiliating it was to be defeated by the rangers, especially Kevin, when they (he, of course) were literally doing backflips on him while opening fire on him.
130* ''Series/{{The Prisoner|1967}}'': When the eponymous computer in "[[Recap/ThePrisonerE6TheGeneral The General]]" is posed an impossible question, instead of just shutting down and producing an error message like any normal computer, the General proceeds to redline its meter, produce copious smoke, and electrocute its creators.
131* A suicide variation in the ''Series/{{Spectreman}}'' series finale. Dr. Gori, defeated and cornered, jumps off a cliff and explodes mid-air.
132* As one of the main pillars of the {{Tokusatsu}} genre, this was frequently seen in ''Franchise/SuperSentai''.
133** The original series, ''Series/HimitsuSentaiGorenger'', justifies this in that their finishing move, the football Gorenger Storm (later Gorenger Hurricane), is essentially an elaborate bomb.
134** In ''Series/KagakuSentaiDynaman'', the explosions ''are'' their finishing moves, making it the TropeCodifier!
135** Actually justified by ''Series/TokusouSentaiDekaranger'', where the bodies of the criminals are incinerated upon death to prevent cloning or reanimation of their corpse.
136** Some Super Sentai series, like [[Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger Goseiger]] and [[Series/DoubutsuSentaiZyuohger Zyuohger]], subvert this; the monster ''apparently'' explodes, but likely isn't completely destroyed, since an intact corpse is left behind to revive into a giant.
137** ''Series/GekisouSentaiCarranger'' has a pretty ridiculous example where a monster is fatally wounded in a car wreck, gets out of the car and ''then'' dramatically falls over and explodes. Given Carranger's nature this was likely SelfParody.
138* The ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' regularly features this trope. Explosions vary from having the monster explode into hundreds of burning pieces, to simply falling over backwards and ''then'' detonating. A notable exception happens in the first episode of ''Series/UltramanMebius'', where the Dinozaur ''doesn't'' explode upon death, with the second episode showing the city having to [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome dispose of the giant carcass]].
139* One of the ways OurVampiresAreDifferent in ''Series/{{Ultraviolet|1998}}'' is that they don't just harmlessly crumble into dust when you put a pointy wooden thing through their heart: they explode, violently. Weaponized when a character trapped in an AbandonedWarehouse with several vampires whose coffins are about to open, opens one early and kills the vampire inside, so the explosion in the confined coffin will blow open the door.
140[[/folder]]
141
142[[folder:Pinballs]]
143* In ''Pinball/TwilightZone'', defeating The Power causes it to explode.
144[[/folder]]
145
146[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
147* The core gimmick of ''TabletopGame/{{Beyblade}}: Burst'' is causing your opponent's Beyblade to [[DownplayedTrope fly apart]] when beaten.
148* A good number of red creatures deal damage to other creatures or players when they die in ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', implied to be from a last-ditch self destruct.
149* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'':
150** ''Literature/{{Dragonlance}}'': Both aurak and bozak draconians explode when they die.
151** Also the case with the ''Fiend Folio''[='s=] dark stalkers and dark creepers, ''TabletopGame/{{Mystara}}''[='s=] huptzeens, and others.
152** Killing a balor for good in the Abyss results in a quite dangerous explosion. In later editions, this happens if you kill one ''anywhere''.
153** The fires that burn within some conflagration oozes are especially unstable, and cause the creatures to go up in fiery explosions when they're killed.
154** When a chillfire destroyer -- [[OxymoronicBeing an elemental consisting of a raging inferno contained within a thin shell of ice]] -- is brought down to zero health, it remains immobile for a round and then violently explodes.
155** Death undoes the magic that binds the implanted weapons to a bladerager troll's flesh, causing its body to explode in a burst of jagged shrapnel.
156** Energons, strange creatures made of energy, also cause an explosion of their type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, sonic, positive or negative energy) when killed. If a xag-ya and xeg-yi (made of positive and negative energy respectively) touch each other, it causes a more powerful explosion.
157** Minions are a type of OneHitPointWonder enemy that typically come in large packs as meat-shields or choke-point holders, or because a KillerDM realizes the party has only single-target attackers. The typical, reasonable reaction is to run up, smash them and move on. Occasionally (especially if "ash", "flame" or "plague" is [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin somewhere in the name]]) they create a burst-attack when defeated, damaging the melee fighter that killed them, and any other buddies that are close... as well as other minions, that sometimes leads to [[StuffBlowingUp insane chain reactions]].
158** And of course, there's the gas spore. A variety of floating ''fungus'' full of unstable gas that explodes if it receives so much as a scratch. It doesn't help that, unless looking closely, the gas spore can be easily confused with a beholder -- the kind of monster you pretty much attack on sight.
159** From the ''TabletopGame/{{Spelljammer}}'' book ''Lost Ships'', Tinkerers are comical-looking spherical creatures with 6 eyes and 4 arms. They move around by expulsing gas, and if hit with a piercing weapon for too much damage, can explode violently from the gas they contain.
160** The 3[[superscript:rd]] edition ''Planar Handbook'' includes the 5[[superscript:th]]-level ''death throes'' spell, which makes the caster explodes violently if he or she is killed. It ranks fairly high in the UselessUsefulSpell category, since it destroys the body and thus makes resurrection more difficult. Although it can become a GameBreaker if used intelligently, [[spoiler:for example combined with the ''magic jar'' spell...]].
161** From the ''Miniature Handbook'', the ''righteous aura'' paladin spell converts its caster into explosive energy when he's killed, although the explosion only hurts Evil creatures and undead, and heals Good creatures.
162** The ''Complete Scoundrel'' has the spell ''fatal flame'', which causes a small fire explosion on a creature's death. It's much less powerful than ''death throes'' or ''righteous aura'', but at least it can be cast directly on enemies.
163** ''Dungeon Master's Guide II'' includes in its magic items the Elixir of Reckoning, which fills the imbiber with dangerous energy. If killed within an hour of drinking the elixir, it causes a severe explosion. Commonly used by suicide troopers of evil warlords.
164* ''TabletopGame/VillainsAndVigilantes'' adventure ''Devil's Domain''. When the {{Player Character}}s kill any of the Devil's demons, the demons explode in a cloud of noxious brown smoke.
165* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
166** Many units in the game have a chance of exploding after being destroyed, with some factions having the option to ''force'' the unit to explode so as to deal maximum damage to the enemy. In the current 9th edition, this entails inflicting [[UnblockableAttack mortal wounds]] on any nearby units - friend or foe - when the unit is slain. Units that can explode include most vehicles, but also some infantry units such as the Eversor Assassin (due to their biologically altered bodies making their blood acidic and combustible on death).
167[[/folder]]
168
169[[folder:Theme Parks]]
170* At Ride/UniversalStudios:
171** In ''Theatre/TheEighthVoyageOfSindbad'', Miseria falls down into a pit and explodes upon being set aflame by her own scepter.
172** The finale of ''Theatre/PoseidonsFury'' has Lord Darkenon exploding upon getting struck by Poseidon's trident.
173[[/folder]]
174
175[[folder:Video Games]]
176* Sword in ''VideoGame/ActRaiser'' makes enemies go boom!
177* ''VideoGame/AdvanceWars'': Tanks and airplanes explode upon destruction, which makes sense. Not so much for defeated foot soldiers exploding.
178* ''VideoGame/AndroidHunterA'': All the robot enemies explode when defeated, flinging body parts around.
179* Defeated enemies in ''VideoGame/AxiomVerge'' explode into both energy and particles.
180* ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'':
181** In the mainline games, the only enemies that don't explode upon defeat are the zombies [[spoiler:and Asimov]]. While foot soldiers explode, their bodies remain intact (minus their damaged armor, firearms, and helmets). Boss death explosion effects are suitably flashier and have different visuals depending on the game. Even in ''ASG 3'', where Kirin doesn't actually kill bosses, their defeat animations still include bright explosions with the ATEMS knights' being preceded with PreExplosionGlow.
182** Unlike [[{{Retraux}} everything else]] in ''[[VideoGame/MightyGunvolt Mighty Gunvolt Burst]]'', enemy death explosions are not 8-bit.
183* Defeated enemies in ''VideoGame/BarkleyShutUpAndJamGaiden'' randomly choose between exploding, [[HalfTheManHeUsedtoBe splitting in half]], or [[EverythingFades fading away]].
184* ''VideoGame/ArmChamps'': In ''II'', all versions of [[{{Cyborg}} Specks]] will explode upon being defeated.
185* In ''VideoGame/BattleKidFortressOfPeril'', both enemies and Timmy explode upon death.
186* All the enemies in ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil''. Exploding on death must be a quirk of the [=DomZ's=] physiology.
187* Every enemy you defeat in ''VideoGame/BioLabWars'' explodes in a bunch of orange clouds.
188* Enemies in ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster'' enemies meet the same fate.
189* ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'':
190** In ''VideoGame/Bomberman64'', every player-sized boss explodes upon defeat except Regulus and Altair, and Hades and Cerberus undergo a PostDefeatExplosionChain.
191** Every boss in ''VideoGame/BombermanHero'' except Nitros, Natia, and [[spoiler:Evil Bomber]] dies in a massive explosion.
192* In ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'' the DLC playable character Krieg has an ability that makes EVERY enemy you kill explode EVERY time with whatever element with which you just killed them.
193* In some of the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' games, enemies explode upon death or leave a small flame.
194* ''VideoGame/ClawsOfFurry'': There's one enemy type that, when defeated, swells up and pops. When it does, three rat {{Mook}}s take its place, the implication being that they were inside him.
195* Enemy ships in the ''VideoGame/CombatInstinct'' trilogy. In 2, this happens if you shoot a grenadier's belt, speeder bike's wheel, or rocket launcher's scope.
196* Sword in ''VideoGame/ConquestOfTheCrystalPalace'' makes enemies go boom!
197* The Rescue Robot you play as in ''VideoGame/ConstantC'' will always explode at death.
198* The one-hit enemies from ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' series get knocked back shortly before exploding.
199* Everything in ''VideoGame/CopyKitty'' explodes with gusto, including the protagonist, though in Boki's case it's more that her data is being recompiled. Bosses, in particular, detonate in massive technicolor light shows with appropriately loud kabooms. [[FinalExamBoss Spectrum Yoggval]] explodes 6 times in increasingly flashy and loud bangs before it dies its final death in a burst of rainbow-colored flames with a boom that'll rattle your speakers.
200* This happens to all the non-human bosses in ''VideoGame/CrossingSouls'', even if they are ghosts like Sarducci or Cursed Librarian.
201* In ''VideoGame/{{Crossout}}'', vehicles will always, ALWAYS explode in a giant fireball when destroyed. No exceptions.
202* Enemies in ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' explode with white smoke.
203* Sword in ''VideoGame/CyberShadow'' makes enemies go boom.
204* ''VideoGame/DantesInferno'' averts this with the human enemies at the beginning, but Hell's Minions explode when defeated.
205* ''VideoGame/DarkForces'': The Probe Droids. After crashing to the ground, they explode, potentially damaging Kyle if he gets too close before they go up.
206* Many augmented soldiers in ''VideoGame/DeusEx'' are programmed to violently explode upon death and can easily wound or kill the attacker if they are too close (no doubt this was intended as a feature). Some even have a spoken password that will immediately trigger the explosion, thus ''[[InvertedTrope causing]]'' defeat instead of resulting from it.
207* ''VideoGame/DeepRockGalactic'': Aside from [[ActionBomb Glyphid Exploders]] and [[BossInMookClothing Bulk Detonators]], the Volatile Guts modifier makes every enemy (except the smallest ones) explode on death.
208** Defeating the Caretaker in Industrial Sabotage missions causes it to topple over and then explode after a few seconds. The explosion deals no damage, but has a strong knockback effect that can cause players to fall to their death.
209* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': {{Player Character}}s who take the "Unstable" talent explode upon death, dealing AreaOfEffect damage equal to half their maximum HitPoints.
210* In ''VideoGame/{{Dungeonmans}}'', boss enemies go out in a PostDefeatExplosionChain before showering the player with loot.
211* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriorsGundam'' has every defeated mobile suit explode. This is also a handy way of determining if you just caused a PlotlineDeath. It's usually possible to tell if an AcePilot hasn't been KilledOffForReal if their mobile suit doesn't explode when they were defeated.
212%%* All the enemies in ''VideoGame/EarnestEvans''.
213* ''VideoGame/EternityTheLastUnicorn'', for the most baffling of reasons, has a ''zombie'' enemy (the ones in tin helmets) exploding when killed, while most other mooks simply fall and dies. Said enemy will emit a suspicious red glow around it when slain, blinking for several seconds, and you'll need to make a run for it or be hurt by the blast.
214* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series:
215** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'': In the Shivering Isles, Shambles are undead constructs that attack with [[ChillOfUndeath a frosty touch]] and explode in a burst of cold damage when destroyed.
216** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsOnline Online]]'', [[PlayingWithFire Flame]] [[ElementalEmbodiment Atronachs]] die in a moderately powerful burst of fire. Given the [[DeathIsCheap immortal nature]] of [[OurDemonsAreDifferent lesser Daedra]], they'll recover. Any mortals they take out with them, not so much...
217* The final bosses of the first three ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy'' games all undergo [[SerialEscalation increasingly lengthy]] explosion sequences when defeated. The final boss of the second game makes sense, being a tank, however the first one is a battered zombie and the third is some deity EldritchAbomination.
218* ''VideoGame/ExorcistFairy'' have most of the bosses exploding harmlessly upon defeat, including the animated statue head (despite being made of stone), the insect-like Grub Mother, among others.
219* ''VideoGame/EXTRAPOWERStarResistance'': Everything explodes upon defeat, either in a dramatic fireball or as an explosion of green viscera, usually based on how organic the enemy is. Extra satisfying when the screen is filled with minor foes who primarily exist to give the player full seconds of full screen explosions. The only exceptions are ghosts who whirl away and Valkyries or former Valkyries like Walhalla or Waldiora, who instead vanish into light or petals, or Rem who merely falls and weeps. The bosses make sure to give several layers of explosions before the final boom of their defeat.
220* ''VideoGame/FableI'': The Summoners -- powerful AnimatedArmor with ShockAndAwe abilities -- [[KneeFoldFallOfDefeat fall to their knees]] when defeated, then explode in a wave of lightning. On top of the hefty damage, it can reset the Hero's [[ExperienceBooster combat multiplier]], denying them most of the XP for the win.
221* ''VideoGame/FoxNForests'': Enemies tend to explode when defeated. And it isn't the usual cloud of red/black/dark grey, either. Different enemy types have their own unique explosion animations.
222* ''VideoGame/GarfieldsFunFest'': Played with: enemies defeated by Garfield disappear in a puff of smoke. That even includes mail carriers.
223* The Lambent in ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' will explode when they are killed, due to their exposure to the Emulsion.
224* ''VideoGame/{{Germination}}'': The Plumes blow up when you jump on them.
225* ''VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins'': Enemies explode without any given explanation.
226* ''VideoGame/TheGirlAndTheRobot'': A [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] case, since the enemies are [[MechaMooks robots]]. Deal them enough damage, and they explode. Try not to be near them when they do, though, as you'll be damaged by the blast.
227* ''VideoGame/GodOfWarI'': The giant lava minotaurs and Ares explode when defeated.
228%%* ''VideoGame/{{Gods}}'': Enemies explode.
229* ''VideoGame/GranblueFantasy'': This happens to some notable raid bosses, such as Bahamut and the Arcarum (which is different from the death animation of common enemies that fade to red when defeated).
230* ''VideoGame/{{Gremlins}} 2'': Every enemy does a PostDefeatExplosionChain upon death.
231* ''VideoGame/GrimDawn'': The Burning Dead and the Harbingers explode upon death.
232* ''VideoGame/GuardianOfParadise'': Every creature you kill [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAB2RPJLU5Q&t=10m15s explodes.]]
233* ''VideoGame/GunstarHeroes'': The enemies, whatever they might be, explode.
234* ''VideoGame/HalfLife'': Any Gargantuas you encounter (the big, hulking aliens that shoot fire at Gordon) will die with a chain of explosions whenever killed.
235* ''VideoGame/AHatInTime'': Defeated enemies explode into white puffs. This gets played with during the final battle: [[spoiler:seeing that the Hat Kid can fight the Mustache Girl to the standstill at most, ''all'' of the planet's inhabitants that were judged as bad guys by Mustache Girl punch each other so that they would explode and provide Hat Kid with additional power to triumph before she'd take back her stolen Time Pieces to turn back time and prevent this from happening]].
236* Defeated enemies in ''VideoGame/HaveANiceDeath2022'' explode.
237* In ''VideoGame/HeatSignature'', guards may come rigged with deadman switches and explosives, causing them to explode if they take lethal damage from almost any source. They won't explode if killed via the pause menu execution function, but this requires knocking them out first.
238* In ''VideoGame/{{Icey}}'', both enemies and bosses that have taken enough damage can be finished off through detonating their cores. Doing so also restores your health and shield.
239* ''VideoGame/{{Iconoclasts}}'': Practically all the mechanical bosses explode upon defeat, and there are a lot of them. The only exception is Isi's Inti machine -- only the Controller that made it attack you in the first place blows up, while the machine remains, though it is heavily battered by the battle.
240* This is justified in ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'' by a self destruct mechanism to prevent either of the two alien sides from picking up the other sides tech and reverse engineering it.
241* As all enemies in the ''VideoGame/IndestructoTank'' series are mechanical, it's a given that they explode upon defeat. When shot in ''[=IndestructoCopter=]'', they fall to the ground before exploding.
242* Some boss enemies from ''VideoGame/JazzJackrabbit'' go boom when killed.
243* Admiral Galak Fyyar in ''VideoGame/JediOutcast'' explodes upon his death. Justified by him wearing a suit of PoweredArmor.
244* ''VideoGame/JusticeLeagueHeroesTheFlash'' has any robotic goons explode upon defeat.
245* In ''VideoGame/{{Jotun}}'', all of the fire giants explode at death. Interestingly, the explosions of the "regular" giants will damage Thora, whereas that of their boss will not.
246* In ''VideoGame/KeroBlaster'', the final boss explodes once it's finally destroyed. {{Deconstructed}}, as it results in the protagonist getting caught in the blast and spending the epilogue in the hospital wearing a body cast. Oddly enough however, [[spoiler:the other employees of C&F Inc.]], who were ''inside'' said boss at the time of the explosion, emerge with no serious injuries. As for normal enemies, only the Negativus Legatia are [[EverythingFades exempt]] from this.
247* ''All'' the player characters in ''VideoGame/KillerQueen'' are {{One Hit Point Wonder}}s who explode when they are killed. Queens get a particularly loud explosion noise when they die, and [[InterfaceScrew the entire screen shakes]].
248* The enemies in the ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' series tend to explode with puffs of smoke and little stars and [[EverythingsBetterWithSparkles sparkles]].
249* In ''VideoGame/LaMulana'', enemies go down in such a fashion.
250* ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' wouldn't be the same if the loser's Nexus didn't blow up. This is even done in the Dominion game mode where players can't even directly attack the enemy Nexus.
251* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
252** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'': After the bosses are slain (except for the first boss, Armos Knights), their bodies subsequently explodes like fireworks. Ganon's explosion after defeat also has exactly same explosion as other bosses.
253** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'': All monsters explode into ominous (yet harmless) purple smoke. Except for the giant Armos Statues, who explode like bombs and does damage when you are too close to the explosion. The [[spoiler:Helmarok King]] had a particularly dramatic one.
254** Other Zelda games have similar effects: defeated monsters in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' tend to turn black and explode (Twilit monsters explode and leave [[TronLines Tron Line]] particles) while monsters in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'' explode and leave a skull-shaped puff of smoke.
255** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'' both have Armos and Dodongos, enemies that explode upon defeat. Twinmold meets a similarly volatile end, blowing up segment by segment. ''Majora's Mask'' also features the mysterious ninja-like Garo clan, whose exploding is a deliberate act, as their way is to not leave a corpse upon dying. Most of the other enemies in the N64 games dissolve into flames instead.
256** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': Monsters burst into clouds of Malice when killed. Chuchus in particular explode more violently, releasing a dangerous elemental burst in the case of the fiery, icy and electric variants, while the dungeon bosses explode into geysers of AlienBlood. Calamity Ganon inverts this by ''im''ploding instead.
257* Earth Demons in ''VideoGame/LeifengPagoda'' explodes upon being slain, dealing extra damage to the player within proximity and leaving behind a ''crater'' each explosion. No such enemy in the game has this ability.
258* In ''VideoGame/LordMonarch'' castles disappear when its owner, king, is defeated. In the Sega version, explosion effects are added.
259* In ''VideoGame/LyleInCubeSector'' all enemies go out in explosive ways. [[spoiler:Psychovyle's]] death explosion actually propels Lyle out of the pit the two fell in after the final boss fight.
260* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', this applies to the various mechs you face. LOKI Mechs only explode if finished with a headshot, FENRIS Mechs and YMIR Mechs explode upon defeat regardless of where the kill shot was. If you finish the YMIR with a headshot however, the explosion is significantly bigger including a [[EverythingMakesAMushroom mushroom cloud]]. Unlike many other examples here, these explosions can hurt you; and the mushroom cloud one can ''kill'' you.
261* ''VideoGame/MechWarrior'' has just about everything explode when defeated. The trick is telling the difference between a particularly large missile explosion and a death explosion. This is also how you can tell if you've destroyed an enemy 'Mech via OverHeating -- you will be rewarded with a ''nuclear explosion'', complete with a mushroom cloud.
262* ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'': Just about every enemy explodes upon defeat; partly justified in that they're robots, but an explosion happens regardless of whether or not the type of weapon used would logically cause an explosion or not. (For instance, Storm Tornado in ''VideoGame/MegaManX''). The only enemies that don't explode are Proto Man, who simply stops and teleports out of the arena (though arguably he really isn't an enemy), and [[BigBad Dr. Wily]] (the machine he's piloting does though) because he falls out and surrenders. Heck even [[TheHero Mega Man himself]] explodes into a billion energy orbs when his [[LifeMeter bar thingy with about 28 other bars]]...runs out. Robot Masters explode into the same orbs, which Mega Man picks up to [[PowerCopying obtain a new weapon]].
263** Every Maverick boss you fight in ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' (1 through 8) stops the game and undergoes a lengthy explosion process, with small explosions covering the defeated boss and the screen gradually whiting out, leaving no trace of the enemy, except in one instance in X4. In the first three, the explosions start off slow, but in 4 onwards, they are very rapid. In X8, the chain of smaller explosions ends with a screen-filling one.
264** Bosses in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' start exploding and Zero beams out before they're even finished.
265** Almost everything in the ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' series explodes upon defeat, even the viruses that appear to be completely organic in nature. Only navis controlled by the player are [[DisappearsIntoLight exempt]] from this, but they'll explode just like everything else when they're fought as enemies.
266* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
267** The Cobras in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' all die by going boom... [[spoiler:except The Boss.]] In this case, it's explained that the Cobras were equipped with microbombs [[DeadMansSwitch that would explode when they died]], in order to prevent the enemy studying their corpses.
268** The bosses in ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' as well. In Grey Fox's case it is possibly justified as he and Snake fight to the death in the middle of a room filled with mines. [[spoiler:This is then retconned in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'', where his intact body is outfitted with a cyborg exoskeleton.]]
269** Red Blaster from the same game is also justified as he fights with grenades.
270** {{Justified|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance''. Upon defeat, enemy cyborgs have their memories wiped and their bodies explode. Doktor explains that this is so that the manufacturers of their cyborg bodies can keep their company secrets... secret.
271* Mechanical enemies in ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' explode upon defeat.
272* ''VideoGame/MetaloidOrigin'': The enemies being mechanical in origin, they tend to explode when beaten.
273* ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'': Most bosses in the series will explode. This is somewhat problematic for recurring bosses such as Ridley, who has managed to [[JokerImmunity come back from complete annihilation several times]] throughout the series.
274* The Bomb enemies in ''VideoGame/{{Miitopia}}'' naturally go out that way, and they damage nearby enemies by doing so. [[spoiler:The FinalBoss and the [[{{Superboss}} Dark Sun]] both explode spectacularly after being defeated, although in the former's case, its essence lingers on afterwards.]]
275* All the MechaMooks in ''VideoGame/{{Mindustry}}'' explode when destroyed, [[LudicrousGibs leaving only an oily splat behind]].
276* Surprisingly {{averted|Trope}} in ''VideoGame/MiniRobotWars''. Every single good guy and bad guy is a robot, but the only ones that explode are {{Action Bomb}}s, and the FinalBoss. The rest just fall down or break apart on death.
277* Enemies in ''VideoGame/MoleMania'' die in a very corner-y explosion.
278* The weapon in ''VideoGame/MoonCrystal'' makes every enemy explode into 4 waves when hit enough. Even bats and all kinds of monsters.
279* Averted by most of the monsters in ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterPC'', but somehow played straight with [[VampireMonarch The Count]], who is the FinalBoss of the game and a much more powerful version of the already dangerous vampire mooks. After being staked ''six'' times, the Count goes down in a series of explosions while letting out a BigNo, in contrast to regular vampire minions who gets ReducedToDust by one stake.
280* The ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' franchise has made it customary from [[VideoGame/MortalKombatII the second game]] onwards to make sure the resident BigBad and FinalBoss explodes into pieces every time they are defeated. The exception is ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance Deadly Alliance]]'' where the titular duo simply fall like regular enemies and don't have any special defeat animations, and ''[[VideoGame/MortalKombat11 11]]'', where Kronika is instead sliced to pieces and sucked into her own Hourglass.
281* In the ''VideoGame/{{Mother}}'' series, all [[WhenTreesAttack tree enemies]], Atomic Power Robots, and the Smilin' and Uncontrollable Spheres explode when you kill them. If you are at a low level when fighting them, their dying explosion will [[TakingYouWithMe kill you as well]]. This can be mitigated by exiting the battle menu early, which stops the rolling health meter from ticking down too far.
282* Every enemy explodes in ''VideoGame/MushihimeSama'' series too despite most of them being insect-based.
283* Implied with Robot Lupe in ''Website/{{Neopets}}''. [[http://images.neopets.com/pets/happy/lupe_robot_baby.gif Before]]... aaaand [[http://images.neopets.com/pets/beaten/lupe_robot_baby.gif after.]] Disheartening, isn't it?
284* In the NES ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' games, ordinary enemies explode into 4 fiery waves expanding diagonally outwards. In the next-generation games, organic enemies just die but robots will dramatically fall over and explode (and unlike most examples, this ''can'' hurt you}.
285* Melting of ''VideoGame/NuclearThrone'' has this trope as his active ability; he can detonate enemy corpses in an explosion of blood, but doing this does not hurt him ([[OneHitPointWonder and that's probably for the best]]). The boss Big Dog also explodes upon death; unlike the blood explosions, this can and probably ''will'' kill you.
286* In ''VideoGame/{{Oniken}}'', mechanical enemies explode upon defeat, but human enemies can instead be [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe bifurcated]], [[OffWithHisHead beheaded]], or [[LudicrousGibs gibbed]].
287* Zig-zagged in ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' - mech-based heroes like D.Va and Wrecking Ball play this trope straight, while fully robotic heroes like Zenyatta and Orisa completely avert it (even in situations where it would be completely justified, like having several rockets pumped into them in rapid succession). Bastion is more of a subversion: he doesn't explode ''per se'', but he does fall apart.
288* When the members of the Legion of Stationary in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing'' are defeated, they explode after several glowing cracks form on their bodies.
289* In the first ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' game, the Zomboni and Catapult Zombie (zamboni and wood catapult) explode after being destroyed... even if it's just from being pelted by non-fire or non-explosive plants (or even getting their ''tires popped'').
290* [[MakeMyMonsterGrow Dynamaxed Pokémon]] in ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' explode when their HP hits zero. In trainer battles, they get shrunken back to normal size and return to their Poké Balls, while Dynamaxed wild Pokémon [[DefeatEqualsFriendship can instead be caught]].
291* In ''VideoGame/PotionPermit'', Bomber Bees explode upon defeat, making collecting their parts as potion ingredients dangerous.
292* Any player in ''[[VideoGame/QuakeIIIArena Quake III: Team Arena]]'' and ''Quake Live'' who dies while carrying the Kamikaze holdable powerup. When dying, (and if they're not gibbed) they will produce a huge explosion that shakes the arena.
293* ''VideoGame/QuakeChampionsDoomEdition'' has Lucienne's "Immolation" passive ability, where, if she's fragged, explodes.
294* In ''VideoGame/RandalsMonday'', this is [[spoiler:Sally's ultimate fate]].
295* While all enemies in ''VideoGame/RapidReload'', explode upon defeat, normal enemies randomly choose between exploding once and exploding multiple times. Bosses undergo a PostDefeatExplosionChain.
296* ''VideoGame/RocketKnightAdventures'' averts this with foot soldiers, but mechanical enemies and most bosses blow up upon defeat.
297* VideoGame/{{Rosenkreuzstilette}}:
298** When Pamela deals the fatal blow to [[spoiler:Iris]] in '' Freudenstachel'', the latter goes out with an explosion.
299** All enemies suffer this fate upon defeat. Normal enemies have round light blue death explosions, but minibosses, final stage bosses, and some large enemies suffer a PostDefeatExplosionChain with fiery explosion effects.
300** Averted with the RKS members in story mode, since the protagonists aren't trying to seriously hurt their friends, the game immediately cuts to dialogue portraits when their health is depleted so they can talk things out.
301* In ''VideoGame/RunSaber'', almost every enemy seems to explode upon death.
302* In ''VideoGame/{{Shadowverse}}'', if you concede, or your leader's HP drops to 0 or less, they will explode.
303* ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}'': Most of the bosses die in this manner, even recurring ones like the Squid Baron. This gets a LampshadeHanging in ''VideoGame/ShantaeRiskysRevenge'' when said Squid Baron appears later in the game.
304-->'''Shantae:''' [[BreakingTheFourthWall Didn't you explode in a huge Stage Clear sequence?]]
305* ''VideoGame/ShiningForceIII'' had enemies explode when killed.
306* In the ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}}'' series, all enemies explode when they die.
307* The eponymous player character in ''VideoGame/SilverSurfer1990'' blows up upon death, which will happen a lot.
308* All the bad guys in ''VideoGame/{{Skyblazer}}''.
309* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'':
310** The robot enemies when destroyed tend to do a small "Pop", releasing the animal inside unharmed. On the [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog rare occasions they aren't]], they tend to die sans explosions.
311** Bosses tend to go down in a [[PostDefeatExplosionChain flurry of explosions]]. The Genesis games tend to combine this trope with LoadBearingBoss when it comes to final bosses, which more often than not means Defeat Equals ''Everything'' Exploding.
312* ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'':
313** Series-wide: Splatted Inklings and Octolings explode, leaving their [[SmolderingShoes clothes]] and an opposing-team-colored ink stain behind. The same also goes for enemies and bosses, who explode in massive gushes of ink that would look [[LudicrousGibs quite different]] in red.
314** ''VideoGame/Splatoon2'': While all of the [[MiniBoss Boss Salmonids]] of the [[MultiMookMelee Salmon Run]] mode explode into ink upon death like Inklings and Octolings, the Steelhead stands out from the rest in that its death-blast can take out other Salmonids.
315* Enemies from ''VideoGame/SkullAndCrossbones'' - including {{Pirate}} mooks, {{Ninja}}, [[DemBones animated skeletons]] and whatnot - all explodes in a puff of smoke, for some inexplicable reason, despite having no reason to do so.
316* In the Flash BeatEmUp ''[[https://www.y8.com/games/sprite_smash Sprite Smash]]'', exploding is one of [[TheManyDeathsOfYou various enemy death animations]].
317* There can be no ''Franchise/StarFox'' game without explosions. This is particularly true of ''VideoGame/StarFox64'', where even the organic aquatic enemies explode upon defeat.
318* Literally everything you'll face in ''VideoGame/{{Steredenn}}'' will explode at death.
319* ''VideoGame/StreetsOfRageRemake'' has a cheat you can unlock that causes all non-endboss enemies to explode shortly after dying. The explosion has the same effect as an exploding barrel or grenade, and as such can cause a chain reaction of deaths, ''including yours'' if you're not careful.
320* Sword in ''VideoGame/{{Strider}}'' series makes them go boom!
321* In ''VideoGame/{{Sundered}}'' most of the Valkyrie enemies are robots or cyborgs, and so they explode into fireballs upon being defeated. Eschaton enemies will instead burst into wormlike wisps of smoke. Hence, none will leave corpses behind.
322* Everything you can pick up (including enemies) in ''VideoGame/Superman64'' explodes. '''Even boxes'''.
323* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
324** Bombshell Koopas in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioLand'', when you stomp on them.
325** Bob-ombs starting in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' explode after a short time if left to their own devices, or much sooner if they are stepped on or thrown.
326** Bosses typically explode into purple smoke when you drain their health fully or at least sufficiently in the ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 games]]. Mechanical bosses like the Megaleg, the Digga-leg, and Bowser Jr.'s personal Airship and Boomsday Machine are [[MadeOfExplodium justified cases]], except their explosions are more incendiary than smoky.
327** This happens to most of the bosses in the ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'' series, usually in a flurry of stars (or in the case of ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiPartnersInTime'', multiple pink, pulsating circles along with the stars) even if they are alive in the cutscene that follows. Major antagonists will often have a darker-colored version of this explosion, while the final boss tends to have a different, more extravagant explosion. If they happen to be alive, more often than not they'll stay in the overworld for a brief moment only to explode ''again''.
328** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d in ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiDreamTeam'', where Popple comments on how Wiggler just exploded during the battle, before [[spoiler:performing a FaceHeelTurn]]. This happens to be one of the cases where both of them are still alive after the battle.
329--->'''Popple:''' Say, what gives? Vanished! Poof!
330** Enemies in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioStickerStar'' collapse and explode when you return to the field.
331** The Legion of Stationery in ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing'' die exploding.
332* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', even non-mecha enemies explode when defeated.
333* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'':
334** Fighters who are knocked out of bounds in the series explode in a sparkly manner. Master Hand, on the other hand, gives off fiery explosions after defeat.
335** All of the bosses in the Subspace Emissary mode of ''Brawl'' explode in the same manner as Master Hand, even the clearly non-mechanical ones like Rayquaza and Ridley. The standard enemies normally just poof out of existence in a mundane manner, but if sent flying off-screen after being defeated, they'll give off the same glorious explosion the fighters do.
336** Starting with the [=3DS=] and Wii U iteration of the series, fighters also explode in a bright flash of color when defeated by means other than being [[RingOut Ring'd Out]], including running out of HP in Stamina matches, certain items such as Death's Scythe, and certain attacks such as VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'s Final Smash and the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' Hero's Whack and Thwack spells.
337* ''VideoGame/NinjaShadowOfDarkness'': Most bosses, upon defeat, will explode into piles and piles of cash and loot. ''Including'' the Sumo mercenary, a BadassNormal human, for some inexplicable reason. (Seeing a massive hellhound or a dragon explode upon death? That's normal. Seeing a fat, regular human who is unarmed, inexplicably blowing up into massive fireballs? Hilarious!)
338* ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'':
339** Characters who wear the Bombinomicon badge invoke this trope on their death; unless they were already [[LudicrousGibs gibbed]] by an explosion their body will explode a second later (this doesn't do any damage, though).
340** With the [[RobotWar Mann vs. Machine]] update, the [[ActionBomb Sentry Buster]] enemy will run up to a sentry that's doing too much damage or getting too many kills, and blow itself up. But, if your team can manage to deal 2,500 damage to it before it gets there, [[OhCrap it'll blow itself up anyway.]] [[SubvertedTrope Except when]] [[GoodBadBugs it doesn't.]]
341** A special purchasable taunt lets you play RockPaperScissors against another player, with the outcomes randomized. Averted if your opponent is on the same team, but if they're not, [[OneHitKill the loser will end up as a fine red mist]].
342* In ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Hyperstone Heist]]'' for Genesis, not only did the robotic Foot Soldiers explode, but all of the organic bosses, bar Shredder himself, such as Rocksteady and Leatherhead use the explosion defeat animation.
343* Enemies in ''VideoGame/{{Tearaway}}'' typically explode into confetti and paper scraps. The player-messengers will also explode when slain.
344* Typical opponents in ''VideoGame/{{Teleroboxer}}'' will explode multiple times.
345* In the main ''{{VideoGame/Touhou}}'' games (and its spinoffs, including fighting games post-''Hopeless Masquerade''), the bosses explode upon defeat, yet they appear in cutscenes afterwards (with some minor ClothingDamage). Maybe those are special effects only.
346* ''VideoGame/{{Triggore}}'': Any enemy you defeat swells up and explodes into LudicrousGibs.
347* In ''VideoGame/{{Underhero}}'', the defeated enemies blow up in the cloud of purplish smoke. The cloud even makes out a skull as it begins to fade! Since the player character is a mook themselves, the same thing also happens to them when they reach 0 HP.
348* ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament'': The carrier of the Vengeance Relic in matches with the Relic mutator will explode violently upon dying.
349* ''VideoGame/VermintideII'': The FinalBoss' sorcery goes out of control when his HitPoints get low, and when you finish him off, he floats into the air and explodes in a burst of energy, [[InterfaceScrew splattering your screen]].
350* ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}}'': Uses this for almost all in-organic units including buildings such as farms or devices like catapults. Occasionally this happens to organic units as well!
351** In the first Warcraft, Ogres inexplicably exploded into a bloody mess when destroyed, preventing their skeletons from being [[AnimateDead raised]].
352** In ''Warcraft II'', while ogres now left corpses, the newly introduced dragon units combust in a fiery explosion when killed, possibly a result of their fire breath. Their alliance counterpart, Gryphons, explode when killed as well, this time into LudicrousGibs.
353* Daddy Slime, Gorgon Eye, and Grim Reaper bosses explode upon defeat in ''VideoGame/{{Wizorb}}''.
354* Boss monsters in the ''VideoGame/WorldOfMana'' series, are covered in small explosions until the screen turns bright at which point it's assumed they've completely obliterated.
355* In ''VideoGame/{{Worms}}'', worms with fully depleted life bars take turns whipping out {{Plunger Detonator}}s and going out with a OneLiner and a bang, leaving grave markers behind. The explosion can hurt nearby worms.
356* ''VideoGame/XCom'':
357** Most [[MechaMooks robotic enemies]] in ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'' explode when killed. Drones' and Seekers' detonations are purely aesthetic, but Cyberdiscs and Sectopods (the latter with the ''Enemy Within'' ExpansionPack) deal considerable damage when they go kaboom. Your own MEC Troopers' suits will explode when they're killed, but not when [[LastChanceHitPoint critically injured]].
358** In ''VideoGame/XCOM2'', Sectopods explode on death, as do Gatekeepers (the stand-in for the old Cyberdiscs). ADVENT MEC robots and Andromedon shells make an explosion sound when killed, but don't actually detonate. In a non-robotic example ADVENT Purifiers have a 50% chance for their flamethrower tanks to explode.
359* In the arcade BeatEmUp ''VideoGame/ZeroTeam'', punching and kicking {{Mooks}} into submission somehow causes them to explode violently into chunks of flaming debris.
360[[/folder]]
361
362[[folder:Webcomics]]
363* In ''Webcomic/TheBeastLegion'', Gorgorath goes through this in [[http://www.thebeastlegion.com/issue-04-page-33-fall-of-the-goliath/ Issue 4]].
364* ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive:'' For some reason that's never really explained, all [[OurVampiresAreDifferent aberrations]] will explode upon dying.
365* [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Angels]] in ''Webcomic/KillSixBillionDemons'' are [[EnergyBeings spirits of primordial fire]] from the VoidBetweenTheWorlds who require special armour as ContainmentClothing to exist in the physical universe. Damaging the armour badly enough can force them back into the Void -- but anyone inclined to try should really consider the "[[http://killsixbilliondemons.com/comic/wielder-of-names-6-112/ primordial fire]]" bit.
366* Averted in ''Webcomic/LsEmpire'' when Gaio refuses to explode, in order to deny his enemies a satisfying victory.
367* Lampshaded with some sarcasm in [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/sexy_monster_ladies this]] ''Webcomic/MagickChicks'' strip.
368[[/folder]]
369
370[[folder:Web Original]]
371* ''Website/TheCrewOfTheCopperColoredCupids'': In the story ''[[https://thecrewofthecoppercoloredcupids.wordpress.com/2020/05/10/the-trial-of-a-dark-lord/ The Trial of a Dark Lord]]'', Lord Nefarious unexpectedly explodes when he is hit by a Cupid Arrow (which normally result in GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul, not any physical damage). Characters eventually realize that this was a YinYangBomb-type of reaction due to Nefarious's magic being rooted in hatred.
372* Weaponized by the [[http://weekendlegends.tumblr.com/post/157511390771/doomsday-mages Doomsday Mages]]. A DM had an idea for a set of recurring villains, mages who were marked by a distinctive rune branded into the palm of their hand that marked their possession of the "doomsday spell", a nuclear-scale magical blast that would be triggered the instant they died. They would be the ultimate emissaries of evil, free to be absolute dicks to anyone they interacted with, secure in the knowledge that nobody could risk killing them. Needless to say, things went ''spectacularly'' OffTheRails when the DM first tried using them. TheHorde of evil orcs was invading the nation of good to which all the players belonged, and had conquered a good chunk of the eastern provinces. They were besieging a major city, with the players in it, and sent one of these doomsday mages (with whom they had an alliance) to negotiate a surrender. What the DM hadn't expected was for the players to jump the doomsday mage, beat him into unconsciousness, and then use healing magic to stabilize him before he could die and set off the doomsday spell. They then used a flying mount one of the players had to fly the unconscious mage out over the orcish siege lines and drop him from 5,000 feet. The blast from his death gutted the orcish army, and the tide of the war instantly changed, the human forces driving back the orcs while the doomsday mages were hunted to be captured and used as bombs.
373* In "Ayla and the Mad Scientist" in the ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'', Team Kimba goes through some '[[ComicBook/XMen Dark Phoenix]]' holographic simulations, a couple of which use [[PersonOfMassDestruction Tennyo]] as the Dark Phoenix character. Phase uses his powers to stop her, and Tennyo explodes. Since she has anti-matter in her blood when she exerts herself, this doesn't work out well. [[spoiler:In the simulation, it destroys the entire eastern seaboard of the United States.]]
374[[/folder]]
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376[[folder:Web Videos]]
377* In "Frozen Flame" by ''LetsPlay/{{Mahu}}'', the colonial army's drones fit this trope. Used as flying scouts at first, they slowly become the explosive vanguard of the colonial forces. Like kamikazes, they charge into the ranks of the enemy, exploding upon death with enough force to slay a dew dozen foes. Once the last drone has achieved its purpose, the army of Prince Arius or Mr. storm follow, ready to finish the weakened foe.
378* ''WebVideo/OriginsSMP'': Upon {{death|IsCheap}}, players holding the Starborne origin explode with the force of a charged creeper. While visually appealing on the surface, this causes immense pain, as Sparklez notes, so he desperately [[DefiedTrope tries his best to prevent it from happening to him]]. [[{{Foil}} On the flip side]], Smajor is more than willing to [[DiscussedTrope use the ability as leverage]] to [[InterrogationByVandalism get what he wants from others]].
379[[/folder]]
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381[[folder:Western Animation]]
382* ''WesternAnimation/BlazeAndTheMonsterMachines'': Once Blaze manages to get past Crusher's cheating device of the day, it explodes back into the junk that was used to create it.
383* In ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'', all of XANA's digital monsters explode when killed, preceded by a short EpilepticFlashingLights moment. The explosions never seem to damage the heroes, however, even when they're still close to the monster they've just defeated.
384* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Powerpuff Girls|1998}}'':
385** In episode "The Rowdyruff Boys", after the girls kiss the titular boys, [[GirlsHaveCooties they hate it so much]], it causes them to glow and explode into their ingredients. They were, however, later brought back by HIM, who made them immune to this, so it doesn't happen again.
386** Also, several of the monsters the girls fought have exploded after the being beaten by them.
387* ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender'': In grand Voltron tradition, Robeasts typically explode when defeated. As do enemy ships.
388[[/folder]]
389
390[[folder:Real Life]]
391* Often the result of aerial combat. Airplanes being the FragileSpeedster machines, when hit to critical components, tend to explode easily. Explode, though, in this case usually means catch fire. Although a large enough hit in the right place can have a plane in several little pieces. The former happens less in modern air combat due to the weapons involved, and although explosions are more common because of missiles, explosions that consume the whole plane are not, thanks to modern design.
392* In naval combat, getting a hit in the gunpowder magazine. ''HMS Hood'', ''HMS Invincible'', ''HMS Queen Mary'', ''HMS Indefatigable'', ''SMS Pommern'', etc. Battleships and heavy cruisers also had a nasty tendency to explode when they capsized, caused by the ship's shell magazines breaking loose while it was rolling over. One of the best-known examples would be the sinking of ''Yamato'', creating a [[http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/Q-JapBattleships-15-HT-Win12.jpg mushroom cloud]] four miles high. ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujquq7IU0uY USS Arizona]]'' and ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdrISbwy_zI HMS Barham]]'' are also particularly noteworthy, as their demise was caught live on film.
393* For tanks, armored personnel carriers, or other armored fighting vehicles, even a modest hit to the ammunition stores is highly likely to result in a catastrophic explosion. Some modern tanks have special blowout compartments that are isolated from the rest of the interior and make it possible for the crew to survive ([[NoOneShouldSurviveThat and even in cases where the tank doesn't it isn't a sure thing]]), but the tank itself is still going to be heavily damaged if not completely unsalvageable.
394[[/folder]]

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