History Main / DecapitationRequired

* Charles, the vampire villain of Elaine Bergstrom's ''Literature/ShatteredGlass''. Since her vampires, who belong to a naturally evolved nonhuman species, have such a strong self-preservation drive that they literally cannot commit suicide, Charles commits an escalating series of gory murders to induce his brother, Stephen, the "good" vampire of the novel, to kill him in a vampire version of SuicideByCop.

* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'': Demons in the series have the ability to regenerate from ''any'' injury, frequently within seconds, which make them extremely difficult to fight, much less kill. There are only two known ways to truly kill them: either [[WeakenedByTheLight exposure to the sun]], or being decapitated with a Nichirin Sword. Nichirin Swords, the [[SignatureWeapon default weapon]] for the members of the [[CreatureHunterOrganization Demon Slayer Corp]], are [[KatanasAreJustBetter Special Katana Blades]] made from ore imbedded with sunlight. Once a demon has their neck severed with one of these swords, their head & body would disintegrate into ash.[[note]] Nichirin Swords ''only'' kill demons through decapitation. Simply stabbing them with one or using the blade to cut off appendages & limbs does not kill them because of the aforementioned Healing Factor. [[/note]]

* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'': Demons in the series have the ability to regenerate from ''any'' injury, frequently within seconds, which make them extremely difficult to kill. There are only two known ways to truly kill them: either [[WeakenedByTheLight exposure to the sun]], or being decapitated with a Nichirin Sword. Nichirin Swords, the [[SignatureWeapon default weapon]] for the members of the [[CreatureHunterOrganization Demon Slayer Corp]], are [[KatanasAreJustBetter Special Katana Blades]] made from ore imbedded with sunlight. Once a demon has their neck slashed with one of sword, their head & body would disintegrate into ash.[[note]] Nichirin Swords ''only'' kill demons through decapitation. Simply stabbing them with one or using the blade to cut off appendages & limbs does not kill them because of the aforementioned Healing Factor. [[/note]]
** Of course, considering how unnaturally strong & powerful demons are, decapitating them is far easier said than done. In fact, some stronger demons can [[BodyHorror create false heads & necks on their bodies]] to throw off their opponents, who would have to find the ''true'' neck to slice.

* ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'': Demons in the series have the ability to regenerate from ''any'' injury, frequently within seconds, which make them extremely difficult to kill. There are only two known ways to truly kill them: either [[WeakenedByTheLight exposure to the sun]], or being decapitated with a Nichirin Sword. Nichirin Swords, the [[SignatureWeapon default weapon]] for the members of the [[CreatureHunterOrganization Demon Slayer Corp]], are [[KatanasAreJustBetter Special Katana Blades]] made from ore imbedded with sunlight. Once a demon has their neck slashed with one of sword, their head & body would disintegrate into ash.

[[folder:Film]]

* [[Film/{{Transformers}} From]] [[Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen all]] [[Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon of]] [[Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction the]] ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' films, you could count every Cybertronian who DOESN'T die by suffering a cranial injury on one hand. It's gotten to the point where it signifies "dead for real", as Optimus and Megatron both came back from other grievous injuries.

* ''Series/InterviewWithTheVampire2022'': In the seventh episode, Louis de Pointe du Lac discloses to Daniel Molloy that Lestat de Lioncourt had once confided to him on a blood-drunken night in Baton Rouge that decapitation is a surefire method to kill vampires.

** This is sometimes the case with run-of-the-mill monsters, depending on species.

-> '''Victor''': Tell me something, Jimmy. Do you even know how to kill me?\\
'''Logan''': I'm gonna cut your goddamn head off. See if that works.

* In ''LightNovel/TheTwelveKingdoms'' beheading is one of the certain ways to kill an immortal (the others being [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe cutting the body in two]] and use of special enchanted weapons), and is shown to be the preferred method in executions. In example, this is how [[spoiler: King Chuutatsu, Queen Kekai and the ''kirin'' Hourin]] are killed, with the "bonus" of [[spoiler: having the leader of the rebels doing this "deed" show up in front of Kekai and Kourin (and SoleSurvivor Shoukei) ''carrying Chuutatsu's head in his hand''.]]

* In ''Anime/KillLaKill'', one of the few ways of killing a human being whose cells have been fused with Life Fibers is to decapitate the head from both ends. This is integral due to the Fibers on one end of the neck regenerating before the blade can fully slice through the other end. Cutting from both sides simultaneously allows severing of the head before one side can begin to reattach.
* Subverted with Hidan from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. Asuma ''thinks'' it'll work and cuts it off, but all it does is keep Hidan from controlling his body and Kakuzu can re-attach it. [[spoiler:Shikamaru later blows him up to the point where the only part left is his head. Hidan cusses him out. Shikamaru [[AndIMustScream buries the still-living and near-immortal head in a hidden grave where no one can ever retrieve it]].]] Rather weirdly, the Konoha ninja never try decapitation on his equally immortal partner Kakuzu -- they just destroy [[spoiler:each of his five hearts]], one by one and with a great deal of effort.
* Averted in ''Anime/NinjaScroll'': Jubei thought Gemma was dead from this, but he reappears with a faint scar around his neck.

* ''Manga/MermaidSaga''. Not the only way to kill an immortal, but the most effective and most attempted.
* In ''Manga/MagicalRecordLyricalNanohaForce'', this is one of the only ways you could kill an [[ViralTransformation Infected]]. Anything else will just be [[HealingFactor healed off with ridiculous ease]].

* The Immortals in ''Manga/BladeOfTheImmortal''.
* The only way to kill a Euphoric in ''Anime/SpeedGrapher'' is to either remove his or her head or severely damage it.
* L-elf from ''Anime/ValvraveTheLiberator'' [[DiscussedTrope theorized]] that this is one of the few ways to kill a Magius.
* ''Anime/MobileFighterGGundam'' states that the Gundam Fight Internal Regulation, "A gundam whose head section has been destroyed is disqualified". In other words, the loss of their gundam's head is the only damage that their pilot is not allowed to repair or replace.
* Cell from ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' was the TropeNamer for regenerating FromASingleCell. As long as a group of core cells in his brain are intact, he can regenerate the rest of his body. He was also shown regrowing his head at one point, so the English dub said he can regrow his body from any cell.

* In the French series ''ComicBook/ZornAndDirna'', Death is trappped in a magical mirror, and now every single living creature is fated to [[AgeWithoutYouth age forever]], unless the spinal column is severed, in which case the dead one's soul goes into the killer's. [[AndIMustScream It is specifically mentioned that butchers have adapted by developing the skill of removing meat from an animal without cutting the spine.]]
* In ''ComicBook/XMen'', a 90s plotline involved the "Xavier Files", which were basically Professor Xavier's Batman-esque contingency plans for the best way to kill any of the X-Men (including himself) if they turned evil. For ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}, the only sure way to overcome his HealingFactor was said to be decapitating him and quickly removing the head from the vicinity of the body (and even this would only really apply when the adamantium had been removed from his skeleton, as with it there's no known substance strong enough to cut through Wolverine's spine).
** The same rule applies to anyone with a healing factor from Logan's and Sabretooth's families. While Deadpool's healing factor is derived from Wolverine, it's been established that it doesn't work on him.
* The best way to put down chupacabra (a race of cannibal demons) in ''ComicBook/WynonnaEarp'' is to shoot them in the head.

* In addition to the page quote, ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' uses this [[spoiler:on Weapon XI.]] This is shown in the movie as being the only way to kill anyone with a HealingFactor. [[spoiler: It doesn't work, in this case; TheStinger shows Weapon XI's body crawling over to reattach his head.]]
* Horribly subverted in ''Film/TheThing1982''. Decapitation does absolutely nothing to the Thing. When its head is removed [[LosingYourHead it acts as an independent organism]] and tries to escape.
* [[Film/{{Transformers}} From]] [[Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen all]] [[Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon of]] [[Film/TransformersAgeOfExtinction the]] ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' films, you could count every Cybertronian who DOESN'T die by suffering a cranial injury on one hand. It's gotten to the point where it signifies "dead for real", as Optimus and Megatron both came back from other grievous injuries.
* In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', Thanos’s only true weak point is apparently his head/brain. The Avengers/Guardians came closest to defeating him when Mantis essentially hypnotizes him. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Once Star Lord breaks Mantis’s control of his mind]], Thanos is able to defeat the entire team all by himself. And later, Thanos directly tells Thor that [[PreMortemOneLiner he should have gone for the head]].

* Shooting It through the head seems to be the only way to stop the monster from ''Film/ItFollows''. Though WordOfGod says it survived.

* In ''LightNovel/TheTwelveKingdoms'' beheading is one of the certain ways to kill an immortal (the others being [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe cutting the body in two]] and use of special enchanted weapons), and is shown to be the preferred method in executions. In example, this is how [[spoiler: King Chuutatsu, Queen Kekai and the ''kirin'' Hourin]] are killed, with the "bonus" of [[spoiler: having the leader of the rebels doing this "deed" show up in front of Kekai and Kourin (and SoleSurvivor Shoukei) ''carrying Chuutatsu's head in his hand''.]]
* ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'':
** [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Skulduggery]] and Kenspeckle reference this when talking about vampires in book 2. "Decapitation is effective against most things." Sometimes brought up as a running joke when vampires are mentioned.
* ''Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy'':
** [[PlayingWithATrope Played with]] with [[BigBad The Lord Ruler]]. He's [[LikeAGodToMe lauded as an immortal god]], and it's common knowledge that "decapitation only irritates him," so nobody ever tries this. It's also [[RasputinianDeath one of the many things he claims to have survived]] in a BadassBoast while fighting the heroes. However, [[spoiler:the source of his agelessness, once revealed, makes one wonder if this was actually true]], and according to WordOfGod [[InvokedTrope it was a big fat lie]].
** Decapitation kills the [[ImplacableMan Steel Inquisitors]], who are otherwise almost impossible to beat -- although it's usually easier to just pull out the spike in their backs, which also kills them.
* In Creator/BrandonSanderson's earlier work, ''Literature/{{Elantris}}'', Elantrians are most reliably killed by beheading. Anything less will simply leave [[WoundThatWillNotHeal an unhealing, eternally-hurting wound]]. [[KillItWithFire Burning also works.]]

* PlayedForLaughs in Creator/TerryPratchett's ''Literature/CarpeJugulum'', in which vampires from different areas of uberwald have to be dispatched in varying ways (lemon in the mouth, nail through the knee, hide his sock) but all involve cutting off the head (which, conveniently, also works on people).
* The [[StockNessMonster Brollachian]] from ''Literature/ShadowKeep'' is a part ogre part octopus brute that feels no pain and can regenerate missing limbs and chunks of flesh. However, [[TheSmartGuy Maryld]] stated that he can be slain if beheaded, but the heroes never get the chance of trying this on it.

* In ''Literature/VampireAcademy'', there are three ways to kill the Strigoi: staking, beheading, and burning. Due to this, guardians usually carry stakes only, and no guns.

* "Braining" always worked on ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''.
* Decapitation is one of the few ways to kill a vampire in ''Series/{{Buffy|the Vampire Slayer}}''. They instantly turn to dust once their head isn't attached to their body. ''Series/{{Angel}}'' brings up another caveat; vampires have a HealingFactor but their brain won't heal from some injuries, meaning they could be left brain-damaged for all eternity if something happened to it. This is mentioned, but [[InformedAttribute it never comes up in the actual story.]]
** Subverted with Lorne (and presumably other Pyleans); in order to kill one of their kind, you must decapitate them ''and'' dismember the body. Lorne's family saved him (grudgingly) by switching his clothes with that of another decapitated body awaiting dismemberment.
* In ''Series/{{Moonlight}}'' vampires follow White Wolf rules. Eventually it turns out that the guillotine was invented because many French aristocrats were vampires.
* In ''Series/DoctorWho'' this is implied to be one of the few things that will immediately kill a Time Lord (although some Expanded Universe media suggests that the Time Lord would just begin regrowing a new head during regeneration unless both hearts are destroyed). [[WeaksauceWeakness Aspirin may or may not be another]].

* Decapitating a Harrowed from ''TabletopGame/{{Deadlands}}'' doesn't kill them. [[FateWorseThanDeath It reduces them to fully conscious but helpless heads]].

* In ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'' and its successor ''TabletopGame/VampireTheRequiem'' slaying a vampire requires either extreme mutilation or [[KillItWithFire fire]]. A stake through the heart merely puts them in a torpor until it is removed.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Battleborn}}'', the vampire-like Sustained don't get sick nor age and they heal rapidly from most wounds. They however can be killed through decapitation as revealed in some lore from [[https://forums.gearboxsoftware.com/t/story-time-with-jythri/1552310 a visit by Randy Varnell]] at [[AllThereInTheManual the Battleborn Discord Server]].