Death Tropes - Television Tropes & Idioms

There is one who remembers the way to your door:
Life you may evade, but Death you shall not.
You shall not deny the Stranger.

—T. S. Eliot, Choruses From The Rock

Character Death is a major event in stories. No, no... it is a really big deal. Really. Except when it isn't.

Obviously, this trope will lead to Spoiler central, so, due to the nature of these tropes, the spoilers are unmarked to avoid having to highlight them constantly.

Contrast with Birth Tropes.

Tropes

Breaking And Destruction Tropes
Indexitis
Injury Tropes
Skeletal Tropes

Categories:

Afterlife Tropes
Apocalyptic Index
Choosing Death
- Heroic Sacrifices
Funeral Tropes
Last Words
Murder Tropes
Rebirth And Reincarnation Tropes
Resurrection Tropes
Television Is Trying to Kill Us
This Index Will Kill You
Undead Index
Will And Inheritance Tropes

open/close all folders

Tropes A-C

Accidental Murder
Acquitted Too Late
Afterlife Antechamber
Afterlife Express
Alas, Poor Scrappy
Alas, Poor Villain
Alas, Poor Yorick
All Deaths Final
Almost Dead Guy
And There Was Much Rejoicing
Antagonist In Mourning
Anyone Can Die
- Sacrificial Lamb
- Sacrificial Lion
Artifact of Death
Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence
As Long as There Is Evil
Assassin Outclassin
Asshole Victim
Ate His Gun
Attending Your Own Funeral
Back for the Dead
Back from the Dead
- Fossil Revival
Backup from Otherworld
Backup Twin
Balancing Death's Books
Barred From The Afterlife
Bath Suicide
Bequeathed Power
Better Manhandle The Murder Weapon
Better to Die than Be Killed
Big Guy Fatality Syndrome
Big Sleep
Birth/Death Juxtaposition
Bitter Almonds
Black Comedy
The Black Death
Black Dude Dies First
Black Spot
Bleed 'em and Weep
Blood From Every Orifice
Blood from the Mouth
Blood on These Hands
Bloody Hilarious
Board to Death
Bodyguard Betrayal
Body of the Week
Bonding Over Missing Parents
Boom, Headshot
Broken Faceplate
Bungled Suicide
Burial at Sea
Burial In Space
Burn the Witch!
Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie
Bury Your Gays
Bus Crash
Butterfly of Death and Rebirth
Butter Side Down
Came Back Strong
Came Back Wrong
- Damaged Soul
- Destination Host Unreachable
- Inhuman Human
- Monster From Beyond The Veil
- Soulless Shell
The Can Kicked Him
Car Cushion
Cartwright Curse
Casualty In The Ring
Celestial Bureaucracy
Cement Shoes
Cessation Of Existence
Chalk Outline
Character Death
The Character Died with Him
Chess with Death
Chronically Killed Actor
Chunky Salsa Rule
El Cid Ploy
Circling Vultures
Climactic Battle Resurrection
C-List Fodder
Cold Equation
Coming And Going
Contractual Immortality
Convenient Terminal Illness
Conversation Casualty
The Coroner Doth Protest Too Much
The Corpse Stops Here
Coup de Gr�ce
Cradling Your Kill
Cryonics Failure
Cruel and Unusual Death
Curiosity Killed the Cast
Cut the Safety Rope

Tropes D

Dark Lord On Life Support
Dateless Grave
Dead All Along
Dead Alternate Counterpart
Dead Artists Are Better
Deader Than Dead
Dead Foot Leadfoot
Dead Guy Junior
Dead Guy on Display
Dead Guy Puppet
Dead Hand Shot
Dead Hat Shot
The Dead Have Names
Deadly Bath
Deadly Closing Credits
Deadly Distant Finale
Deadly Euphemism
Deadly Fireworks Display
Deadly Hug
Deadly Nosebleed
Deadly Road Trip
Deadly Rotary Fan
Dead Man's Trigger Finger
Dead Man Switch
Dead Man Writing
Dead Man's Chest
Dead Partner
Dead Person Conversation
Dead Serious
Dead Sidekick
Dead Star Walking
Dead to Begin With
Death Activated Superpower
Death Amnesia
Death As Comedy
Death by Adaptation
Death By Ambulance
Death by Cameo
Death by Childbirth
Death By Despair
Death by Disfigurement
Death By Falling Over
Death By Flashback
Death By Genre Savviness
Death By Gluttony
Death by Irony
- Deadline News
- Death by Looking Up
Death by Materialism
Death by Mocking
Death by Newbery Medal
Death by Origin Story
Death By Pragmatism
Death By Racism
Death By Recognition
Death by Secret Identity
Death by Sex
Death By Transceiver
Death by Woman Scorned
Death Equals Emotion
Death Equals Redemption
Death in the Clouds
A Death in the Limelight
Death Is A Sad Thing
Death Is Cheap
Death Is Dramatic
Death Is Not Permanent
Death Is Such An Odd Thing
Death Is The Only Option
Death Montage
Death Notification
Death of the Hypotenuse
Death of the Old Gods
Death Row
Death's Hourglass
Death Takes a Holiday
Death Wail
Decapitated Army
Decapitation Presentation
Decapitation Required
Deceased Parents Are The Best
Departure Means Death
Defiant to the End
Denying The Dead Parents Sins
Desert Skull
Did Not Die That Way
Did You Die?
Died Happily Ever After
Died in Your Arms Tonight
Died Standing Up
Die Laughing
Dies Wide Open
Dig Your Own Grave
Disappears into Light
The Disembodied
Disney Death
- Unexplained Recovery
- Disney Villain Death
Disposable Pilot
Disposable Sex Worker
Disposing Of A Body
- Fed To Pigs
Distracted From Death
Divorce Requires Death
The Dog Bites Back
Doomed Appointment
Doom Magnet
Doomed by Canon
Doomed Contrarian
Do With Him as You Will
Dragged Off to Hell
Driven to Suicide
Dropped a Bridge on Him
- Look Both Ways
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Due to the Dead
Duel to the Death
Dwindling Party
Dying Alone
Dying as Yourself
Dying Curse
Dying Declaration of Love
Dying Dream
Dying For Symbolism
Dying Moment of Awesome
Dying To Be Replaced

Tropes E-K

Eaten Alive
Electrified Bathtub
Empathy Doll Shot
Empty Chair Memorial
Empty Piles of Clothing
Ending Memorial Service
Everybody Lives
Everybody's Dead, Dave
Everything Fades
Exit, Pursued by a Bear
Explosive Decompression
- Thrown Out The Airlock
Explosive Stupidity
Face Death with Dignity
Faking the Dead
- Death Faked for You
- Fake Kill Scare
Fatal Method Acting
Family Unfriendly Death
Famous Last Words
Fatal Family Photo
Faux Death
Field of Blades
Final Solution
Finger in the Mail
Finish Him!
First Episode Resurrection
First Law of Resurrection
Flatline Plotline
Fond Memories That Could Have Been
Foreseeing My Death
Friendly Target
The Fun in Funeral
Gas Chamber
Get It Over With
Go Into The Light
Good Night Sweet Prince
A Good Way To Die
Go Out with a Smile
Gory Discretion Shot
- Sound Only Death
Grave Humor
Grave Marking Scene
Grave Robbing
Great Way To Go
Gutted Like A Fish
Half the Man He Used to Be
Happier Home Movie
Have a Nice Death
He Had a Name
Hellish Copter
Her Heart Will Go On
The Hero Dies
Hero Killer
He's Dead, Jim
- Flatline
He's Just Hiding
His Name Is...
Hoist by His Own Petard
Hollywood Heart Attack
Hospital Surprise
How Dare You Die on Me!
Humanity's Wake
I Cannot Self-Terminate
I Die Free
I Don't Want to Die
If We Get Through This
If You Die I Call Your Stuff
I Let Gwen Stacy Die
I'm Cold... So Cold...
I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin
I'm Melting
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice
Implied Death Threat
Immortal Hero
Incurable Cough of Death
Inferred Survival
Informal Eulogy
Instant Death Bullet
Instant Gravestone
Interrogating the Dead
- Eye Remember
Interrupted Suicide
In the Back
Inverse Dialogue Death Rule
Involuntary Battle to the Death
Involuntary Suicide Mechanism
It Always Rains at Funerals
It Is Not Your Time
It's Always Sunny at Funerals
I Will Only Slow You Down
I Wished You Were Dead
Jacob Marley Apparel
Joggers Find Death
Join or Die
Joker Immunity
Jumping on a Grenade
Just Desserts
Karmic Death
- Disney Villain Death
  - Noose Catch
- The Killer Becomes the Killed
Killed Mid-Sentence
Killed Off for Real
Killed Off Screen
Killed to Uphold the Masquerade
Kill 'em All
Kill Him Already
Kill It Through Its Stomach
Kill One Others Get Stronger
Kill the Cutie
Kill The Ones You Love
Kill the Poor
Kill Us Both
King in the Mountain
King On His Deathbed
Kiss of Death
Klingon Promotion

Tropes L-O

Last Breath Bullet
Last Day To Live
The Last Dance
Last Disrespects
Last Grasp At Life
Last Kiss
Last of His Kind
Last Request
Last Stand
Last Survivor Suicide
Leave Behind a Pistol
Leave No Survivors
Leave No Witnesses
Left for Dead
Legacy Immortality
Legally Dead
Let Them Die Happy
Libation for the Dead
Life Will Kill You
Lights Off, Somebody Dies
Like You Were Dying
Like You Would Really Do It
Literally Shattered Lives
Little Dead Riding Hood
The Living Dead
Living on Borrowed Time
Load-Bearing Hero
Lonely Funeral
Losing the Team Spirit
Losing Your Head
Lunatic Loophole
Made of Plasticine
Make It Look Like An Accident
- Hunting Accident
Make Sure He's Dead
Man in the Machine
Marked To Die
Matter of Life and Death
McLeaned
Meaningful Funeral
Men Are the Expendable Gender
Mentor Occupational Hazard
Mercy Kill
Microwave The Dog
Miles To Go Before I Sleep
A Million is a Statistic
Misplaced Sorrow
Mistaken for Dying
Moment Of Silence
Monster Misogyny
Monster Munch
More Expendable Than You
More Hero than Thou
Mortal Wound Reveal
Murder by Cremation
Murder by Mistake
Murder.com
Murder Suicide
Mutual Kill
My Death Is Just the Beginning
My Life Flashed Before My Eyes
Near Death Experience
Neck Snap
Necro Non Sequitur
Never Found the Body
- Finally Found The Body
Never Got To Say Goodbye
Never One Murder
Never Say "Die"
Never Say Goodbye
Never Speak Ill of the Dead
Never Suicide
Night Swim Equals Death
Nobody Can Die
No Body Left Behind
No Dead Body Poops
No Longer With Us
No One Could Survive That
Nostalgia Heaven
Not Afraid To Die
Not Enough To Bury
Not Now, We're Too Busy Crying Over You
Not Quite Dead
Not Quite Saved Enough
Not So Invincible After All
Not Too Dead To Save The Day
The Nothing After Death
Nothing Left To Do But Die
Obi-Wan Moment
Of Corpse He's Alive
Offing The Mouth
Offing the Offspring
Off with His Head!
Oh, and X Dies
One Last Smoke
One Way Trip
Only Mostly Dead
Opening a Can of Clones
Our Hero Is Dead
Out of Continues
Out with a Bang

Tropes P-S

Parting Words Regret
Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Death
Peaceful In Death
Personal Effects Reveal
Phone Call From The Dead
Player Punch
Please Kill Me If It Satisfies You
Please Wake Up
Plotline Death
The Plot Reaper
Plot Triggering Death
Pop Goes The Human
The Poppy
Population: X, and Counting
Posthumous Character
Posthumous Narration
Post Mortem Comeback
Post Mortem Conversion
The Power of Legacy
Premature Eulogy
Pretty Spry For A Dead Guy
The Problem With Fighting Death
Psychic Assisted Suicide
Psychopomp
- The Grim Reaper
- Shinigami
- Don't Fear the Reaper
Public Execution
Pummeling The Corpse
Rasputinian Death
Really Dead Montage
Redemption Equals Death
Red Shirt
- Mauve Shirt
Refusing Paradise
Regularly Scheduled Evil
Released To Elsewhere
Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated
Rescued From Purgatory
Respawn Point
Restrained Revenge
Resurrection Sickness
Retirony
Revival Loophole
Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves
Rise From Your Grave
Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies
Robbing The Dead
Rube Goldberg Hates Your Guts
Say Your Prayers
Schr�dinger's Cat
The Scourge of God
Second Law of Metafictional Thermodynamics
Secretly Dying
Seeking The Missing Finding The Dead
Seen It All Suicide
Self Destructive Charge
Self-Disposing Villain
Self-Sacrifice Scheme
Senseless Sacrifice
Serial Killer Killer
Severed Head Sports
Shoot Him, He Has a Wallet!
Shoot the Messenger
Shoot the Shaggy Dog
Shot at Dawn
Shrine to the Fallen
Sickbed Slaying
Silent Credits
Silent Scapegoat
Slashed Throat
Sketchy Successor
Smoldering Shoes
Sniping The Cockpit
Snow Means Death
Sole Surviving Scientist
Sole Survivor
Someone Has to Die
Someone to Remember Him By
Sorry That I'm Dying
Sorting Algorithm of Deadness
Sorting Algorithm of Mortality
Spared by the Adaptation
Speak Ill of the Dead
Spontaneous Human Combustion
Staking the Loved One
Stars Are Souls
Starts With A Suicide
Starts With Their Funeral
Staying Alive
Stay With Me Until I Die
Stripped to the Bone
Stuffed into the Fridge
Stupid Sacrifice
Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome
Suicide Attack
Suicide by Cop
Suicide For Others Happiness
Suicide Is Painless
Suicide Not Accident
Suicide, Not Murder
Suicide Pact
Super Drowning Skills
Superhero Movie Villains Die
Super Power Meltdown
- Shape Shifter Swan Song
Surprisingly Sudden Death
Survivor Guilt
Suspect Existence Failure

Tropes T-Z

Tag Team Suicide
Take A Moment To Catch Your Death
Take Care of the Kids
Taken for Granite
Taking the Bullet
Taking You with Me
Talking the Monster to Death
Talking to the Dead
Tears of Blood
Technicolor Death
Teenage Death Songs
Thanatos Gambit
That Poor Plant
That Was The Last Entry
The Can Kicked Him
The World's Expert on Getting Killed
These Hands Have Killed
They Died Because of You
They Killed Kenny Again
They Knew the Risks
This Is Not My Life To Take
Throw Em To The Wolves
Time Delayed Death
To Absent Friends
Together in Death
Tonight Someone Dies
Tontine
Too Cool to Live
Too Dumb to Live
Too Good for This Sinful Earth
Too Happy to Live
Too Powerful to Live
Torso With A View
Touch of Death
Tragic Bromance
Tragic Keepsake
Traumatic C-Section
Trial By Friendly Fire
Turbine Blender
Uncertain Doom
Undignified Death
Unexpected Inheritance
Unexpected Successor
Unwanted Revival
Vasquez Always Dies
Vertical Kidnapping
Viking Funeral
Villains Dying Grace
Vorpal Pillow
Waking Up At The Morgue
Walking Wasteland
Wall Slump
Wax Museum Morgue
We All Die Someday
We Hardly Knew Ye
We Will Have Euthanasia in the Future
Weapon Tombstone
Went to the Great X in the Sky
What A Drag
What Happened To The Pet
What Is One Man's Life In Comparison?
Where Theres A Will Theres A Sticky Note
White Shirt of Death
Whodunnit To Me
Why Couldn't You Save Them?
Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?
Why Won't You Die?
Widowed At The Wedding
Widower Hero
The Wild Hunt
Winged Soul Flies Off At Death
Wring Every Last Drop Out Of Him
You Are Worth Hell
You Are Already Dead
You Have Outlived Your Usefulness
You Kill It, You Bought It
Your Days Are Numbered
Your Head A Splode
You See, I'm Dying
You Shall Not Pass
Zipping Up The Bodybag

Resurrection Tropes

Sorting Algorithm of Deadness

This Index Has Left The Building

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