Line #62 SacrificialLion/Film


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7	{{Sacrificial Lion}}s in live-action {{film}}s.
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9	* ''Film/TwentyEightWeeksLater'' has at least three. Firstly, it looks like Creator/RobertCarlyle's character, Don, is going to be the main protagonist, since, at the time of release, he was the biggest name in the film, and most of the promotional material focused on him. However, he's actually the first person infected by the zombie virus. Then Scarlet, a scientist looking for a cure, and Doyle, a soldier who helps them, are the new protagonists. Doyle performs a HeroicSacrifice pretty soon, and Scarlet is killed by, ironically enough, Don, the film's first SacrificialLion.
10	* In ''Film/AirForceOne'', Major Caldwell gets a lot of screen time and a lot of character development. And then, just as the movie ends, he's killed defending the president from the traitorous Agent Gibbs.
11	* ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'':
12	** ''Film/Alien3'': When Ripley first crash lands on the prison planet, she is treated by Creator/CharlesDance's kindly doctor/former inmate Clemens. As the film progresses, the two form an increasingly close bond and eventually sleep together, implying that Clemens will be a major character and, at the very least, be given a HeroicSacrifice towards the end -- then the alien appears, and Clemens is one of the first to die.
13	** ''Film/AlienResurrection'': Don't get too attached to Michael Wincott's badass ship captain -- far from being the grizzlier, outlaw counterpart to the second movie's Corporal Hicks as he first appears, he's the first of the smugglers to get chomped when the aliens escape their holding cells.
14	* Parody movie ''Film/AmazonWomenOnTheMoon'' has an interesting take on this. An astronaut's character development is alluded to, and is killed about halfway through the movie, but none of this is actually shown due to the film reel being faulty.
15	* ''Film/AmazingGraceAndChuck'': Amazing is killed when the villainous Mr. Jeffries arranges for him to board a private jet which blows up over the Rockies. This marks a significant turning point in the film, and the anti-nuclear movement he and Chuck started takes on a tone which is far more somber (rather than hopeful).
16	* ''Film/{{Avatar}}'' has two: [[DefrostingIceQueen Dr. Grace Augustine]] and [[VasquezAlwaysDies Trudy Chacon]].
17	* {{Subverted}} in ''Film/BackToTheFuture1''. Doc Brown's death appears to be a Sacrificial Lion (or maybe a SacrificialLamb). But the Libyans play no further role except to drive Marty into TheFifties. Then Doc Brown's death turns out to be a delayed DisneyDeath.
18	* ''Film/BeyondLochNess'': Deputy Neil accompanies his boss for most of the film, has a personal beef against the mother monster after it kills his sister, and snipes several baby monsters in the climax, but he falls victim to the creatures five minutes before the end.
19	* In ''Film/TheBlob1988'' we follow the character of Paul throughout the first half of the movie and we slowly get to know him, but then he's the second person to be consumed by the blob.
20	* ''Film/BlownAway'': [[spoiler:Max.]] For bonus points, [[spoiler:he's played by Jeff Bridges' real life father, Lloyd.]]
21	* Franka Potente's character in ''Film/TheBourneSupremacy'' is [[SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome killed off almost immediately]] even though she got second billing. Doubly surprising as in the Ludlum novels Literature/TheBourneSeries is (loosely) based on, nothing happens to her character.
22	%%* Mani in ''Film/BrotherhoodOfTheWolf''.
23	* In ''Film/{{Chappie}}'', America lasts through most of the film only to be killed by the villain in the second last fight.
24	* ''Film/TheCriminalCode'': [[spoiler:Ned Galloway ends up becoming this when he realizes that Robert Graham is being taken out of solitary confinement not because he squealed about , but because of true love. He deliberately gets himself sent down there to protect him from a vengeful inmate who believes him to have squealed, killing both him and Yard Captain Gleason before being killed himself, allowing Graham to come out safe and sound.]]
25	* ''Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy'' has multiple examples:
26	** ''Film/BatmanBegins'' has the NiceGuy District Attorney Carl Finch who seems like he will be important in bringing [[TheDon Carmine Falcone]] to justice and has dated Rachel Dawes in the past. He gets unceremoniously shot down by League of Shadows members disguised as cops.
27	** ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' has Rachel Dawes and Commissioner Loeb. Also a case of SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome.
28	** Foley from ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', who has to be inspired by (Robin) John Blake to put back on his uniform and help defend the city of Gotham against the League of Shadows.
29	* ''Film/DawnOfTheDead1978'': [[spoiler:Roger]] is the first main character to bite it when he gets bitten by the zombies halfway through the film and has to be put down by Peter.
30	* Russel Franklin, Creator/SamuelLJackson's character in ''Film/DeepBlueSea''. Most of the first half of the movie is character development for this man. You get to know him. Get to know how adventuresome and noble and kind-hearted but not naive he is. He is '''''obviously''''' the hero... or at least a decent secondary protagonist. He even gets to give a moving speech about how they'll all get out of there alive if they just pull together! And then [[{{Pun}} out of the blue]], a shark eats him.
31	* In ''Film/DieHard'', Harry Ellis and Joe Takagi are killed by Hans to demonstrate that he isn't playing around.
32	* Snails, the PluckyComicRelief from the dubious ''Film/DungeonsAndDragons2000'' movie, abruptly turns into a SacrificialLion in the middle of the film when they need to show how evil TheDragon is.
33	* In the sequel, ''Film/DungeonsAndDragonsWrathOfTheDragonGod'', Dorian the Cleric bites the dust after getting frozen, eaten and then exploded by a White Dragon... Interestingly, nearly everyone else in the party gets horribly wounded and maimed in every single scene after that, when having a Cleric would have been nice.
34	* Downplayed in ''Film/EdgeOfTomorrow'' when William Cage has his life saved by propaganda heroine Rita Vrataski, only to have her killed moments later to ram home just how screwed they all are. It's downplayed as Cage gets stuck in a GroundhogDayLoop, giving him a chance to save her life.
35	* Wes Bonnell in ''Film/FortyGuns''. Griff's brother is a major character for much of the film, and acts as Griff's 'second gun' in his showdowns. He is killed [[WidowedAtTheWedding at his wedding]] by a bullet [[MurderByMistake intended for Griff]]. This marks the point at which there is no going back for either side of the conflict.
36	* [[spoiler:Duke]] in ''Film/GIJoeRetaliation''.
37	* Joe Brody gets the most development early on in ''Film/{{Godzilla 2014}}'', [[spoiler:but is killed when the first Muto awakens]].
38	* Baragon in ''Film/GodzillaMothraKingGhidorahGiantMonstersAllOutAttack'' is the first monster to be summoned to stop Godzilla, and is the first monster to die after being utterly [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomped by Godzilla]].
39	* ''Film/{{Gravity}}'' does away with [[spoiler: [[Creator/GeorgeClooney Matt Kowalski]]]] little more than half an hour into the film. It is from the same director who made ''Film/ChildrenOfMen'', after all.
40	* Laurie Strode finally meets her death at the hands of Michael at the beginning of ''Film/HalloweenResurrection''.
41	* ''Film/HouseShark'': Before the three of them go into [[TheProtagonist Frank]]'s house to deal with the shark, [[spoiler:Darth Squanto turns to them while standing in the door frame to deliver a "let's do this"-style line. Then the shark appears behind him and eats him right in front of Frank and Ronald]].
42	* Many of the allies and love interests of Film/JamesBond throughout the series: Quarrel in ''Film/DrNo'', Kerim Bey in ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'', Paula in ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'', Aki in ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'', Ferrarra in ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly'', Veejay in ''Film/{{Octopussy}}'', Sir Godfrey Tibbett in ''Film/AViewToAKill'', etc. Tracy from ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'' is arguably the best known of the lot, though her death doesn't truly have an effect on Bond until ''Film/LicenceToKill'', where another wedding ends in tragedy and leaves another lion, Felix Leiter, mauled.
43	* [[spoiler:Charon]] in ''Film/JohnWickChapter4''. [[spoiler:He's been a mainstay of the series from the very first movie, so the Marquis killing him very early on in the movie [[IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure as a way of punishing Winston]] shows just how bad the heroes' situation has gotten.]]
44	* ''Film/JohnnyBelinda'': The death of the father. It pushes Locky into the pure evil category, helping the audience to [[AssholeVictim feel good about Belinda shooting him]].
45	* Robert Muldoon in ''Film/JurassicPark1993'' is the first major character we are introduced to and is given more screentime and like ability factor than most of the Red Shirt type characters that are usually eaten by the creatures in these kinds of films. [[TheWorldsExpertOnGettingKilled He is also portrayed as "knowing more about raptors than anyone" and being a Badass who will likely have an ultimate showdown with the raptors]]. (Indeed, in the original book, he not only manages to survive a raptor attack, he actually beats one to death with a length of rebar.) However, in the end he is ambushed and killed by [[MemeticMutation the clever girls]].
46	* In ''Film/JurassicWorld'', Simon Masrani, Jurassic World's owner, [[spoiler: dies trying to put down the monster he was partially responsible for creating.]] On the dino side, there's [[spoiler: Delta and Echo,]] who die protecting Owen from the ''I. rex'' in the finale. [[spoiler: Charlie's]] hesitation to attack Owen also gets her killed by [=InGen=] mercs.
47	* Tatsuo in ''Kamikaze Taxi''.
48	* Liam Neeson's Godfrey in ''Film/KingdomOfHeaven''. Godfrey is wounded about 15 minutes into the film and dies before the 30 minute mark, thus catalyzing his son Balian's new life in the Holy Lands and the main plot of the film. What made Godfrey's death so unexpected was that Liam Neeson was promoted as one of the biggest and most important names in the film (though considering he's a ChronicallyKilledActor some people may have seen it coming).
49	* ''Film/{{Kingsman}}'':
50	** Harry Hart in ''Film/KingsmanTheSecretService'', falling victim to the MentorOccupationalHazard to give Eggsy a motive to come back to Kingsman and, ultimately, stop Valentine's plan.
51	** [[spoiler:Merlin]] in ''Film/KingsmanTheGoldenCircle'' is killed just before the FinalBattle when he sacrifices himself after Eggsy triggers a land mine.
52	* The movie version of ''Film/LAConfidential'' alternates its focus between the three cops Ed Exley, Bud White, and Jack Vincennes, establishing the characters' different approaches to their duties and their overall personality. Then Jack Vincennes is shot to death in the middle of the third act, letting us know this is a film where AnyoneCanDie and forcing the rivals Exley and White to work together.
53	* The titular lion in ''Film/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe''. Liam Neeson seems to like being this character. [[MessianicArchetype He recovers]] this time though.
54	* ''Film/TheLovedOnes'': Sergeant Valentine who goes out searching for Brent, and actually finds Brent in the basement, only to be killed before he can get Brent out. Lola callously shoves his body through the trapdoor... and added to the stack of her previous victims corpses, manages to lift Brent ''just'' high enough in the air that he can reach the rim of the trapdoor and finally escape.
55	* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'':
56	** ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' has Agent Coulson being impaled by [[BigBad Loki]] while trying to keep him away from the console that would drop the caged Thor. He does get his DyingMomentOfAwesome when he fires off his {{BFG}} that he didn't even know what it would do. The subtext of the subsequent discussion of and allusions to his death also hints that he's the thing that "the Avengers" (until this moment only a government codename) are going to be, well, ''avenging'' from now on.
57	** In ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', [[spoiler:Quicksilver]] is killed during the final battle, allowing the film to feature the death of an Avenger without killing a character who has their own film franchise.
58	** ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'' kills off [[spoiler:Yondu]] at the end of the final battle. Not one of the main Guardians team members, but important enough such that some emotion could be milked from the viewers. Very similar to what happens to [[spoiler:Quicksilver]] in ''Age of Ultron''.
59	** In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', Loki and Heimdall are just two of the casualties caused by Thanos in the opening scene.
60	** ''Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness'' has [[spoiler:the Illuminati of the 838 universe, alternate versions of powerful and recognizable characters, including the long-awaited Reed Richards and Professor Xavier]]. [[TheWorfEffect They are slaughtered messily]] by the film's villain to showcase just how [[ImplacableMan terrifyingly unstoppable]] [[spoiler: Wanda]] is.
61	* Kung Lao in ''Film/MortalKombat2021'' is built up as Liu Kang's best friend, TheAce of Earthrealm's champions, and the one who is expected to win the tournament. Then Shang Tsung [[YourSoulIsMine steals his soul]], leaving him as a withered husk.
62	* ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984'' sets Tina Grey up as a DecoyProtagonist. Then she dies (messily) and we realize that her best friend is the real main character.
63	** [[Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet2010 The remake]] follows a similar path.
64	%%* Llewelyn Moss in ''Film/NoCountryForOldMen''.
65	* ''Film/PacificRim'': Appears to be the case with [[spoiler:both Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon]]. They and their pilots are both given dramatic introductions and have their records recounted: both have at least half-a-dozen impressive kills and are veterans of a decade-long war that has destroyed all but four Jaegers. Protagonist Raleigh Beckett recognizes them on sight and is familiar with their heroic reputations. During the battle of Hong Kong they are deployed in a badass sequence and manage to get the edge on the attacking kaiju on more than one occasion, but are then quickly destroyed one after the other to show how the war has evolved- the kaiju have developed new and deadly weapons and intelligent tactics for which even these veterans are completely unprepared.
66	* Gabriel, the son of Creator/MelGibson's protagonist character Benjamin Martin in ''Film/ThePatriot2000'', gets a good amount of screen time and character development establishing him as a secondary protagonist. Then Gabriel's love interest and her family are burned to death when the film's BigBad Tavington [[MoralEventHorizon locks them in a church and sets it on fire]]. Gabriel attempts to get vengeance on Tavington, but is instead stabbed to death by Tavington in the fight. Of course, Tavington ''already'' crossed the MoralEventHorizon with the church-burning incident, so Gabriel's death basically serves to remind us that it's Mel Gibson's character who's the protagonist, and only ''he'' is allowed to finally kill Tavington at the end. Gabriel's death just gives Benjamin Martin added motivation.
67	* Janet Leigh's character in ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' is a classic example of this, [[DecoyProtagonist set up to be the main character]], only to be killed horribly early on.
68	* The Kid (Leonardo [=DiCaprio=]'s character) from ''Film/TheQuickAndTheDead'' gets so much face time he's one of the films {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s, but in the end he's gut-shot and left to die in the street simply to show that Harod's so evil he'd kill his own son just to finish a gunfight contest.
69	* ''Film/ReservoirDogs'', with Mr. Blonde being shot by Mr. Orange. An inversion since he's the good guy, but it's the first death of a main character, and it ups the ante from will Orange get treatment in time and will the cops bust in, to who will survive.
70	* The two main protagonists of ''Film/TheRock'' are a prisoner who isn't allowed to carry a gun and an FBI chemical weapons specialist who has to borrow one for the mission. Both survive the film. The [=SEAL=] team they're assigned to, expected to do all the heavy fighting, is wiped out in an ambush soon after they reach Alcatraz.
71	* ''Film/RioBravo'': Pat Wheeler, shot in the back after offering to help Chance.
72	* [[spoiler:Abel]] from ''Film/{{Rituals}}''. After being established as a family man and the doctor with the least personal baggage, he's killed to establish how much of a threat the unseen hunter is.
73	* ''Film/RockyIV'' has Apollo Creed, the onetime [[BigBad nemesis]] turned [[HeelFaceTurn friend]] to Rocky. Ivan Drago's [[CurbStompBattle complete domination]] that [[spoiler: ends up killing Apollo]] was clearly done for two reasons: to show how dangerous Drago was, and to give Rocky a reason to [[ItsPersonal settle the score]].
74	* ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'': [[spoiler:Private Jackson is one of the most notable members of the squad due to his skill as a ColdSniper and his [[RealMenLoveJesus penchant for quoting Bible passages]]. He winds up being the first of the squad to die in the FinalBattle and his death puts the US soldiers at Ramelle on the back foot since Miller no longer has a vantage point.]]
75	* Every ''Film/{{Scream}}'' movie has at least one of these, a lot of the time to set up the final act.
76	** ''Film/Scream1996'': [[spoiler:Tatum, Sidney's best friend, is the first casualty of the final act.]]
77	** ''Film/Scream2'': [[spoiler:Randy (one of the characters who survived the first film), and Hallie (Sidney's best friend).]]
78	** ''Film/Scream3'': [[spoiler:Averted with Dewey and Gale, who survive, but are nearly killed when Ghostface threatens to murder them unless Sidney shows up.]]
79	** ''Film/Scream4'': [[spoiler:Kirby, although she manages to survive.]]
80	** ''Film/Scream2022'': [[spoiler:Dewey, and unlike last time he's ''actually'' killed.]]
81	* From ''Film/{{Serenity}}'':
82	** Hoban Washburn, pilot extraordinaire, is a perfect example given that the creator of the film admitted he killed the man off just to make the Reavers look even more dangerous and to break the [[PlotArmor PC Shield]].
83	** Which makes Shepherd Book's death an example as well, killed to make ''The Operative'' look even more dangerous.
84	* ''Franchise/StarTrek:''
85	** David Marcus in ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock''.
86	** Lt. Hawk in ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'', while not getting an extreme amount of screen time he was presented as basically Worf's replacement onboard the Enterprise-E while Worf was stationed at [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]].
87	** In ''Film/StarTrek2009'', it establishes early on that the first officer of the USS ''Kelvin'' is George Kirk, Jim Kirk's father. The ([[OneSceneWonder memorable]]) Captain Robau promotes Kirk to captain, implying that he knows full well he won't make it back alive from the meeting with the Romulans in the super-powerful ship. Once the ship resumes attacking George Kirk orders an evacuation and stays behind to fight off the Romulans, eventually making [[RammingAlwaysWorks suicide run]]. Spock's mother, too, is killed when Vulcan is destroyed, both of which reinforce that [[NothingIsTheSameAnymore anything can happen in this timeline]].
88	** In ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'', [[spoiler:[[ReasonableAuthorityFigure Christopher Pike]]]] is killed early in the film to show how dangerous John Harrison is.
89	** In ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'', [[spoiler:the Enterprise itself]]. She is sent on a rescue mission as she sports the best navigational technology and most experienced crew in the fleet, but is hopelessly outmatched by the attacking swarm led by Krall. Once boarded her crew put up a ferocious fight but are eventually overwhelmed and forced to abandon ship. The ship is cut apart and crashes on Altamid shortly after.
90	* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
91	** [[MentorOccupationalHazard Obi-Wan Kenobi]] plays this role in ''Film/ANewHope'', which is mirrored by Qui-Gon Jinn in ''Film/ThePhantomMenace''. Comparing with Luke's uncle and aunt illustrates the contrast between the SacrificialLion and the SacrificialLamb. There's also Luke's ChildhoodFriend Biggs Darklighter who fights alongside him in the Battle of Yavin only to, once again, get killed by [[ArchnemesisDad Vader]].
92	** Mace Windu in ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith''. Anakin's [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope culpability in his death]] is the direct cause of his FaceHeelTurn.
93	** [[spoiler: Han Solo]] In ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', mirroring the above-mentioned deaths of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.
94	** ''Film/RogueOne'' is [[HeroOfAnotherStory told entirely from the perspective of]] characters who are, essentially, Sacrificial Lions with respect to the greater franchise -- every original character is dead by the end, including the main heroine, but their banner is taken up by the film's minor characters... who are, of course, the overall franchise's ''major'' characters.
95	* William Cabot from ''Film/TheSumOfAllFears'' is killed two-thirds of the way through the movie.
96	* ''Film/TheTerminator'': Lt. Ed Traxler plays a pivotal part in tracking down the Terminator ([[WrongGenreSavvy whom he thinks to be a human psychopathic serial killer]]) and protecting Sarah from him, which makes it hit harder when the Terminator ambushes his station and he himself gets fatally wounded about halfway through the film.
97	* ''Film/Timecop2TheBerlinDecision'': Jeffers has a lot of prominence for the first third of the film as an ActionGirl and Chan's friend and partner. Then, once Miller gets the means to RetGone his enemies, Jeffers is his first victim. [[spoiler:She gets better in the final scene.]]
98	* ''Film/TopGun'': During a training exercise, Maverick and Goose are accidentally sent into a tailspin, and as they eject, Goose hits the still-hovering canopy and dies from the collision, showing how dangerous the career of a naval aviator can get.
99	* ''Film/TransformersFilmSeries'':
100	** ''Ironhide'' is killed by the treacherous Sentinel Prime in ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' (immediately following an awesome MexicanStandoff scene with the 'Cons) by being shot in the back. He has enough time to ask "[[EtTuBrute What have you done?]]" before Sentinel sadistically "releases" the soldier from duty. It comes as especially shocking as up until then Sentinel was portrayed as an almost grandfatherly figure and mentor to Optimus.
101	** In ''Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction'', it's ''Ratchet's'' turn to be killed, just to show how bad the humans' purging of the Autobots has become.
102	** From the rebooted continuity of the film series, ''Film/TransformersRiseOfTheBeasts'' has [[spoiler: Airazor]] perishing just before the climax of the film [[spoiler: due to being corrupted by Scourge who shoots a dart full of Dark Energon in her, causing her to turn on her former allies, which in turn results in Primal performing a MercyKill on her to stop her suffering]]. This just shows how dire [[spoiler: Scourge's plan to summon Unicron to Earth truly is, and it is also the catalyst for Noah and Optimus Prime to set aside their differences and trust each other, as well as the rest of the Autobots (sans Mirage when it comes to his relationship with Noah), the Maximals, and the human Elena, and pushing the three heroic groups to unite as one alliance to honor her memory and to avenge her loss.]]
103	* [[NobleBigotWithABadge Jim Malone]]'s fatal ambush by Capone's men serves this purpose in ''Film/TheUntouchables1987'', especially since for a [[HopeSpot brief moment]] it looks like he has the situation well in hand.
104	* Benicio del Toro admitted in the DVD commentary that this was his character's purpose in ''Film/TheUsualSuspects''. He also said he added the accent and the behavior, because if he had to die, he at least wanted to be memorable.
105	* In ''Film/TheWindmillMassacre'', Jack is a Royal Marine and might reasonably be expected to be vital to the group's fight for for survival. Instead, he becomes the first victim; dying before anyone even realises there is a threat.
106	* ''Film/WonderWoman2017'': Steve Trevor's {{heroic sacrifice}} in the final act provides the {{heroic second wind}} Diana needs to defeat Ares.
107	* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries'':
108	** ''Film/XMenFirstClass'': [[spoiler:Darwin]] is the first team member to die.
109	** ''Film/XMenApocalypse'': [[spoiler:Havok is only one of five characters to appear in every entry of the First Class trilogy, but because he's the least developed, he's killed off here.]]
110	** ''Film/DarkPhoenix'': [[spoiler:Mystique]] serves this role as one of the top names in the franchise thus far and is killed to show how dangerous Jean is to those around her, even those she cares about.
111	* ''Film/{{Zombieland}}'': Tallahassee is the oldest and toughest of the main cast, and [[spoiler:gives up his life to give Columbus a chance at saving Wichita and Little Rock. Subverted when he survives his LastStand]].
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Context SacrificialLion / Film