History Main / CruelTwistEnding

* "[[https://towritecomicsonherarms.tumblr.com/post/64167787483/cbldf-liberty-annual-2013 What If Wertham Was Right?]]" uses this trope for an ''absolutely '''vicious''''' TakeThat against [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredric_Wertham Fredric Wertham]]'s hypothesis about comic books inducing violence in children, widely publicized in ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seduction_of_the_Innocent Seduction of the Innocent]]'' and cited as a major contributor to the creation of the controversial [[UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode Comics Code Authority]]. The premise being that Wertham's claim was true instead of being based on [[https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140804/08494028095/learning-history-how-one-lying-liar-almost-screwed-comic-book-industry.shtml falsified data]], the comic shows three kids discovering some comic books in the woods with one of them taking one home, only for the military to be called in when the book is discovered. The effect of the comics is demonstrated when the boy becomes a homicidal EnfanteTerrible who slaughters all but one of the soldiers and his father, and is about to kill his mom as well when the surviving trooper shoots him down. Only afterward is it noted that ''there were multiple comic books'', and it's then shown that many ''other'' kids have been turned into murderous berserkers as well. In the end, the mother and the soldier, [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled the latter having turned his gun to his head]], can only watch in horror [[BolivianArmyEnding as the entire neighborhood is overrun]].

* In ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations'', the fourth case is a flashback to Mia's first trial, which is also Edgeworth's first trial. This already sets up a ForegoneConclusion, as Edgeworth had previously been established to have never lost a trial before the events of the first game. However, the actual ending twists ''that'' and makes things even worse: just as Mia gets close to solving the case, the defendant, having been manipulated by the real culprit from the beginning, crosses the DespairEventHorizon, poisons himself and dies in court, leaving the trial with no verdict and traumatizing both Mia and Edgeworth (who indeed [[ExactWords didn't lose]], but also didn't win), the former of which doesn't take another case for a year. Having narrowly avoided being exposed, [[TheBadGuyWins the culprit cannot be indicted and gets away with everything]].

A TwistEnding that serves no purpose other than to be ''excessively cruel''.

* The country music standard "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia". The song starts off as the narrator talking about a murder that occured in Georgia with a man murdering his unfaithful wife. The narrator mentions in the chorus that an innocent man was hanged. Near the end of the song, you learn that the innocent man was the betrayed husband. The true killer is the innocent man's sister. She killed her sister-in-law for cheating on her brother. So basically an innocent man was killed for a murder his sister committed. And she allowed her brother to die for her crime.

* In 'Chuck's New Tux', a ''Creator/HarryPartridge'' cartoon, the titular Chuck wants to avoid getting his new tuxedo stained. Of course HilarityEnsues when he slips on a skateboard and narrowly avoids crashing into people carrying food or paint, but just when he thinks he's going to end up falling into a cake, he instead gets brutally impaled on a fence. Audience reaction is practically split down the middle on this one, with some calling it brilliant DarkHumour and others seeing it as disturbing, especially as it really is such a jarring shift in tone from the rest of the cartoon.

* Creator/JonBois has pointed out a number of these instances in the history of the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague Atlanta Falcons]], in his [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUXSZMIiUfFSzzgEL4N9aYBXPmGVen3zW 7-part documentary on the team]]. By far the most infamous of these was Super Bowl LI, in which the Falcons had a 28-3 lead over the Patriots, in a game that would be incredibly meaningful if they were to win. This would be the Falcons' first championship in the team's history, it'd knock the highly successful Patriots down a peg, and since this was happening only a few months after [[UsefulNotes/DonaldTrump]] (who used to spend a lot of time with the Patriots) won the presidential election, the whole atmosphere of the game was highly politicized. Atlanta, and the rest of the country supporting them, ''really'' needed a win at this point. And then... the Patriots rallied in the last few minutes of the game, sent it to overtime, and won. Jon concludes that the falcon from the team logo must be some sort of cruel trickster god, playing a joke on all of football.

[[folder:Eastern Animation]]
* In ''Animation/TimeMasters'', a ragtag bunch of space travelers are thrown back in time 60 years by an OmniscientCouncilOfVagueness made up of space aliens. Turns out that the little boy, Piel, is actually the same person as Silbad, the cheerful old man with them, and they just represent two different times in his life. Silbad has a BurialInSpace all because the aliens felt it was right. Unnecessarily cruel?

Lighter-weight versions come up very often in shows where FailureIsTheOnlyOption, especially when the show has run for a long time, and the writers need to contrive more and more extravagant reasons why the protagonists can't win. It can also be used as a shock subversion of a stereotypical happy ending. If it's overused, it becomes a MandatoryTwistEnding. If the ending makes you wonder what the point of the story was, it can come across as a ShootTheShaggyDog. The DiabolusExMachina also often gets involved. AndThenJohnWasAZombie is often an example. Compare NotQuiteSavedEnough and SuddenDownerEnding. May cause an AudienceAlienatingEnding if it's handed poorly.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': As a RobotGirl who seeks to be a normal girl with normal relationships, Penny obtaining the [[ElementalPowers Winter Maiden power]] at the end of Volume 7 appears to conclude her Pinocchio-style journey to [[BecomeARealBoy become a real girl]]. However, Watts hacks her in Volume 8 to force her to open the Vault of the Winter Maiden, and then self-terminate. The heroes manage to save her by turning her into a human with the [[ArtifactOfPower Relic of Creation]], fufilling Penny's lifelong dream of becoming a real girl...only for [[TheHeavy Cinder]] to unexpectedly subvert her Pinocchio ending by [[DiabolusExMachina fatally injuring her]] ''[[DiabolusExMachina not even an hour]]'' [[DiabolusExMachina afterwards]]. The dying Penny declines to be healed and convinces Jaune to [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled speed up her death]], thereby allowing her to pass the Maiden power to [[StevenUlyssesPerhero Winter]] instead of Cinder.

* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'': The novel ''Lady Of Sorrows'' follows a group on TheQuest to break a curse over their town: every generation Lady Olynder sends her nighthaunt processions to destroy them, only being beaten back at great cost. A prophecy foretells that the curse can be broken, and the group of soldiers, priests, scholars, and wizards travel across Shyish to break into Olynder's fortress, suffering a DwindlingParty all the while. At the very last, it looks like the LastSurvivor has broken the curse. And he has. The curse on Lady Olynder that prevents her from ever destroying the towns, no matter how many ghosts she sends or how close she comes. Meaning she is now free to utterly annihilate everyone they had spent the entire book fighting for. The entire quest and prophecy was one massive BatmanGambit. The end.

!!This is a SpoileredRotten trope, which means that ''EVERY SINGLE EXAMPLE'' listed below is a spoiler by default and will be unmarked without a tag. [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned Only proceed if you really believe you can handle this list]].

* "[[https://towritecomicsonherarms.tumblr.com/post/64167787483/cbldf-liberty-annual-2013 What If Wertham Was Right?]]" uses this trope for an ''absolutely '''vicious''''' TakeThat against [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredric_Wertham Fredric Wertham]]'s hypothesis about comic books inducing violence in children, widely publicized in ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seduction_of_the_Innocent Seduction of the Innocent]]'' and cited as a major contributor to the creation of the controversial [[UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode Comics Code Authority]]. The premise being that Wertham's claims were true instead of being based on [[https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140804/08494028095/learning-history-how-one-lying-liar-almost-screwed-comic-book-industry.shtml falsified data]], the comic shows three children discovering some comic books with one of them taking one home, only for the military to be called in when the book is discovered. The effect of the comics is demonstrated when the boy becomes a homicidal EnfanteTerrible who slaughters all but one of the soldiers and his father, and is about to kill his mom as well when the surviving trooper shoots him down. Only afterward is the possibility brought up that ''there were multiple comic books'' ([[{{Foreshadowing}} which was true as shown in the first few panels]]), and it's then shown that many ''other'' kids have been turned into murderous berserkers as well. In the end, the mother and the soldier, [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled the latter having turned his gun to his head]], can only watch in horror [[BolivianArmyEnding as the entire neighborhood is overrun]].

[[folder:Light Novels]]
* Many of the volumes of the ''Literature/VampireHunterD'' novels have {{Downer Ending}}s, but the end of the longest story, the 4-part ''Pale Fallen Angels'' was downright ''sick''. Although many died, D has slain the evil vampire lord, the children are safe from the evil Guide, Taki is safe from being sacrificed and the good, evolved vampire Baron Byron Balazs is planning on forging the first links of friendship between the Nobility and mankind. Then, with no warning or preamble, a hypnotic suggestion planted in Taki causes her to attack Byron, he rips out her throat instinctively while defending himself and in his shame [[ICannotSelfTerminate he hires D to kill him]], which D does without hesitation. Apparently you just ''can't'' have a happy ending in this series.
[[/folder]]

* [[CruelTwistEnding/LiveActionFilms Films — Live-Action]]

* The GrandFinale of ''Machinima/ArbyNTheChief'' can be considered this to a degree. Arbiter, [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge having just ripped Master Chief to pieces for killing Cortana]], and having heard Tyler being murdered by a Police Officer outside his room, is about to kill himself by jumping out the window of Jon's Apartment from being traumatized by both events, until he is stopped by Claire. Despite Claire [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre reassuring Arbiter that she'll always be there to comfort him]], [[RelationshipSalvagingDisaster and insisting on rebuilding their relationsip]], JUST as it seems it just might work, Arbiter changes his mind and joins Chief in being blown up in a gas explosion.

* Similarly, the ''Literature/GiveYourselfGoosebumps'' books all have far more bad endings than good endings for the reader. Many involve the player dying horribly (getting EatenAlive is pretty common), but readers can also end up [[BalefulPolymorph permanently transformed into something awful]] (ex: an insect, a monster, or an [[AndIMustScream immobile-yet-self-aware statue]]), enslaved or imprisoned, getting hopelessly lost, or simply missing out on the whole adventure.