| 1 | [[quoteright:176:[[Webcomic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mortality.jpg]]]] |
| 2 | |
| 3 | ->'''Panik:''' Why aren't you dead?!\ |
| 4 | '''Yami:''' As I explained earlier, I'm the main character. You, however, can just go right ahead and die. |
| 5 | -->-- ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' |
| 6 | |
| 7 | %% One quote is enough. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | So you're watching a {{horror}} show, [[SlasherMovie slasher flick]], or maybe an action show that promises a high body count. In order to prove just how high the stakes are and how willing the show is to be DarkerAndEdgier and scarier, it bravely advertises that TonightSomeoneDies! Not just [[AnyoneCanDie anyone]] though, but [[DwindlingParty someone on the poster!]] |
| 10 | |
| 11 | So who dies? That's a tricky question. Kill the [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt wrong person]], or too early, and you risk angering the viewer. Execs and writers have, through time, trial, and (mostly) error, discovered that killing off "[[RuleOfEmpathy unpopular]]" minorities is safer than popular ones or majorities. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | This has led many to notice patterns, a kind of Sorting Algorithm of Mortality, whereby a character's odds of [[JustForFun/HowToKillACharacter gruesome, violent death]] are established relative to the rest of cast. The following is a rough generalization; some movies or shows might mix it up depending on which roles and traits a given character has, but few outright [[SubvertedTrope subvert]] or [[AvertedTrope avert]] it, and when they do, [[HesJustHiding it's painful]]. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Compare AcceptableTargets. Once killed, see SortingAlgorithmOfDeadness to see how likely they are to come back. See also RuleOfEmpathy. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | When AnyoneCanDie is in effect, of course, these scores go out the window and [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin anyone can die.]] |
| 18 | |
| 19 | To use the Sorting Algorithm of Mortality, simply add the '''Scream Score''' for each applicable row, then divide by the number of applicable rows (at this point, [[ThirteenIsUnlucky 13]] or fewer). Remember: this is a relative score, so you need at least 3 characters from the same movie or series to establish a baseline. To keep this page clean, please put speculation on the mortality of a cast in the WildMassGuessing WMG/SortingAlgorithmOfMortality page.\ |
| 20 | \ |
| 21 | |
| 22 | || border=1 |
| 23 | || '''Likelihood of death''' || '''[[JustForFun/HowToKillACharacter So dead]]''' || || '''Average life expectancy''' || || '''[[JustForFun/HowToCheatDeath Die? Me? Ha!]]''' || |
| 24 | || '''[[color:maroon: Scream Score!]]''' || '''5''' || '''4''' || '''3''' || '''2''' || '''1''' || |
| 25 | || ''Age'' || OlderAndWiser || [[OpenMindedParent Parent]], [[YouthIsWastedOnTheDumb clueless]] and/or [[TeensAreMonsters vicious teens]] || [[EverybodyIsSingle Single adult]] || [[DawsonCasting Protagonist teens]] || [[ImprobableInfantSurvival Child]] || |
| 26 | || ''Sexual Orientation'' || [[SexSignalsDeath Slut]], [[ExtremeOmnisexual Bisexual]],[[note]]Unless EveryoneIsBi[[/note]] [[VirginityMakesYouStupid Innocent Virgin]] || [[GayGuyDiesFirst Gay]][[note]]If there's a CastFullOfGay, change to 3[[/note]] || [[HeterosexualLifePartners Straight]] || Reluctant, Asexual || [[CelibateHero Celibate]] || |
| 27 | || ''LoveInterests by Genre'' || RichBitch, ''[[SlasherMovie Horror Genre]]'' || HookerWithAHeartOfGold, [[TemporaryLoveInterest Temporary]] || [[SatelliteLoveInterest Shallow]], ''[[LoveHurts Romance show]]'' || ShrinkingViolet || DamselInDistress, ''ActionSeries'' || |
| 28 | || ''[[{{Characters}} Role]]'' || {{Villains}}, FacelessGoons, [[WhatMeasureIsAMook Mooks]], RedShirt, TheMentor, TheBigGuy, DecoyProtagonist || [[IneffectualLoner Loners]], PluckyComicRelief, MauveShirt, Long-lost Friend, TheSmartGuy, MrExposition (often has some overlap with another role such as mentor) || TheLancer, HeroOfAnotherStory, [[{{Sidekick}} The Sidekick]], TheScrappy || IgnoredExpert,\ |
| 29 | ThoseTwoGuys, SupportingProtagonist || [[ContractualImmortality Hero]], CreatorsPet, || |
| 30 | || ''[[EthnicScrappy Race]]'' || [[BlackDudeDiesFirst Black]], [[TwoferTokenMinority Twofers]] || [[SouthOfTheBorder Mexican]], [[UsefulNotes/TheMiddleEast Arab]] || [[FarEast Asian]] || [[NobleSavage Indian]]/[[MagicalNativeAmerican Native American]] || [[WhiteMaleLead White]] || |
| 31 | || ''[[GenderIsNoObject Gender]]'' || [[VasquezAlwaysDies Masculine]] [[{{Bifauxnen}} Girl]], AmbiguousGender || [[DudeLooksLikeALady Feminine]] [[CampGay Man]] || [[MenAreTheExpendableGender Male]] || TokenGirl || ActionGirl, FinalGirl[[note]]If she shows up in a [[SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome sequel]], her survival odds drop dramatically.[[/note]] || |
| 32 | || ''[[BeautyEqualsGoodness Aesthetics]]'' || [[TheGrotesque Ugly]] || [[FatBastard Fat]] || [[HollywoodHomely "Average"]] || [[GoodScarsEvilScars Fashionably Scarred]] || TheCutie[[note]]In horror media and other media of a darker and more cynical bent, [[KillTheCutie increase to 5]].[[/note]] || |
| 33 | || || '''5''' || '''4''' || '''3''' || '''2''' || '''1''' || |
| 34 | || ''[[CharactersAsDevice Personality]]'' || StrawNihilist, CrazySurvivalist, [[TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth Innocent]] || JerkJock, TheDitz, InsufferableGenius || nerd, JerkWithAHeartOfGold || TheCaptain, TheWatson || AllLovingHero, FriendToAllLivingThings || |
| 35 | || ''[[FatalFlaw Flaws]]'' || TooDumbToLive, [[AgentScully Skeptical]], GenreBlind, DirtyCoward, [[DeathByMaterialism Greedy]] || [[BeleagueredChildhoodFriend Fell astray]], TheStoner, ButtMonkey ([[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism gritty]]), [[DeathByMocking Smartass]] || [[BlindWithoutEm Wears Glasses]] || [[WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes Crippling Phobia]] || [[DumbIsGood Mentally Handicapped]] || |
| 36 | || ''[[StockAesops "Virtues"]]'' || HolierThanThou, [[CuriosityKilledTheCast Curious]], [[DeathByPragmatism Pragmatic]], [[AmbitionIsEvil Ambitious]] || [[EmotionlessGirl Quiet Girls]] and [[GentleGiant Quiet Guys]] || [[{{Geek}} Smart]], GenreSavvy[[note]]In a Deconstruction or Parody, [[DeathByGenreSavvy increase to 5]][[/note]] || {{Determinator}} || ThePollyanna, TheFool || |
| 37 | || ''[[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman Species]]'' || [[MechaMooks Robots (non-living)]], [[TheUndead Undead]], [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent Snakes]], [[BigCreepyCrawlies Arthropods]] || [[CatsAreMean Cats]], [[ExpendableClone Clones]], MechanicalLifeforms || [[ThouShaltNotKill Human]], HumanAliens || [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe Pretty Aliens]] || [[PetTheDog Dogs]][[note]]In [[DeathByNewberyMedal literature]] or Creator/{{Disney}} movies, increase to 5.[[/note]] || |
| 38 | || ''[[NoOSHACompliance Occupation]]'' || [[{{Retirony}} Retiring Law Officer]], VillainByDefault, [[FatalFamilyPhoto Happy Family Man]], [[VasquezAlwaysDies Competent secondary female]] || [[GeneralRipper Military Commander]], RedshirtArmy, [[DisposablePilot Vehicle Drivers]], [[FriendlyTarget Hero's Best Friend]], [[MentorOccupationalHazard Mentor]] || [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Scientist with Questionable Ethics]], InnocentBystander || AdventurerArchaeologist, [[HotTeacher Teacher]] || {{Superhero}}, [[NobleProfession Nun]] || |
| 39 | || ''[[EvilGloating Prognosis]]'' || YouAreAlreadyDead, TakeAMomentToCatchYourDeath, PostMortemOneLiner, LastStand || YourDaysAreNumbered, PreMortemOneLiner, YouShallNotPass || PrepareToDie, HeDidntMakeIt, TimeBomb, PreAssKickingOneLiner, JumpScare || YouHaveNoChanceToSurvive, IfMyCalculationsAreCorrect || BadassBoast, MillionToOneChance, IneffectualDeathThreat || |
| 40 | || ''[[CriticalExistenceFailure Health]]'' || ChunkySalsaRule, IncurableCoughOfDeath || OverdrawnAtTheBloodBank, SoapOperaDisease || ICanStillFight, MadeOfPlasticine, LittlestCancerPatient || MadeOfIron, OnlyAFleshWound, DelicateAndSickly|| NighInvulnerable, HealingFactor, [[VictorianNovelDisease Consumption]] || |
| 41 | || || '''5''' || '''4''' || '''3''' || '''2''' || '''1''' || |
| 42 | || ''[[NeverTellMeTheOdds Pool predictions]]'' || KilledMidSentence || DroppedABridgeOnHim (or [[DroppedABridgeOnHer Her]]) || SacrificialLion, StuffedIntoTheFridge || SacrificialLamb, DeadStarWalking || PlotArmor, TheWorfEffect || |
| 43 |
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