History Main / ChainReactionDestruction

In older 2D video games, a common way of portraying the destruction of a large mechanical entity (typically, a [[BossBattle boss]]) is to have multiple explosions go off one-by-one all over its surface until it either disintegrates or fully explodes in a giant fireball.

This is an easy effect to achieve with sprite animation - all a game has to do is spawn a series of explosion sprites at random locations. Staggering the explosions in sequence reduces the number of sprites needed on-screen at the same time, which makes it easier for older hardware to handle while still giving a satisfyingly destructive effect. Often the explosions are spawned at a constant rate, giving a characteristic rhythm to this kind of destruction.

Generally, the explosions simply occur at random positions on the entity's body, even if there is nothing at that location that seems like it should be able to explode. In lazier cases, the explosions may not even match the mask of the structure very precisely, causing even seemingly empty air to erupt in flame.

Some games that use this effect attempt to inject more realism by having parts explode in a more logical fashion - for example, having the extremities disintegrate prior to the main body instead of the whole thing just randomly exploding all over.

Obviously, machines in RealLife don't tend to behave this way - if something blows up, it tends to do it all at once rather than in an orderly sequential manner.

A common effect in 2D action games, particularly [[ShootEmUp shoot 'em ups]] of the 1990s. Subtrope of StuffBlowingUp, often with MadeOfExplodium. See also DamageIsFire. Not to be confused with DisasterDominoes.

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!!Examples from Video Games

[[foldercontrol]]

[[AC:Destruction after or with the series of explosions]]

[[folder:Action Adventure]]
* An octopus boss in ''VideoGame/{{Shantae}}: Risky's Revenge'' explodes that manner.
* Ellmac from ''VideoGame/LaMulana'', awkwardly, since he is a giant frill-necked lizard.
* Sometimes happens in ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series. For an example, in ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' both at the end of the intro with Dracula and after beating [[BonusBoss Granfalodon]].
* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'':
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'': Enemies and Bosses resembling segmented worms -such as Sandworms, Lanmolas and Moldorms- are known to go down in a series of small explosions.
** Twinmold in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/BlasterMaster'' series.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/GuruminAMonstrousAdventure'' lightly explode, then slowly dissolve into light.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Action Game]]
* ''VideoGame/MissileCommand'' is the TropeCodifier of videogaming history. Part of the strategy is that even though you have a limited number of missiles, you try to destroy the missiles at the edge of your explosion, because their explosion can take out other missiles, causing a chain reaction of explosions. Since you get bonus points for unlaunched missiles, it also aids your score.
* Many, many bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'' series. Sometimes applies to some of the other objects too.
* The final boss in ''[[VideoGame/BattleCity TankForce]]''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/JourneyToSilius''.
* The final boss of ''Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' NES game.
* Minibosses and bosses in ''Low G Man''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' NES games.
* Some of the smaller bosses in ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheNinja''.
* Defensive walls in ''VideoGame/{{Shatterhand}}''.
* Bosses in ''The Trolls In Crazyland ''.
* 2/5 of the bosses in ''VideoGame/ViceProjectDoom''.
* Numerous bosses in ''VideoGame/GunstarHeroes'' series. Considering that even the regular enemies explode even in a more spectacular fashion than the enemies in ''{{VideoGame/Contra}}'' series, it's hardly surprising.
* Bosses and minibosses in ''VideoGame/DynamiteDuke''
* Stronger enemies, minibosses and bosses in ''VideoGame/AlienHominid''.
* Final boss in ''VideoGame/MichaelJacksonsMoonwalker''.
* Bosses and in lesser extent, regular enemies in ''Madoo Granzort''.
* Bosses in ''Super VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'' and ''Pocket Bomberman''.
* Minibosses, some bosses and some miscellaneous objects in ''X-Men Mutant Apocalypse''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/RocketKnightAdventures'' series.
* Most {{mini boss}}es and bosses in ''VideoGame/RunSaber''.
* Numerous bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Metroid}}'' series.
* Bosses and some of the larger structures in ''Videogame/GodzillaMonsterOfMonsters''.
* Bosses and barricades in ''Ex-Mutants''.
* Non-Robot Master bosses in the ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' series.
* ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'': Bosses are wracked by repeated explosions after being defeated, although they aren't physically destroyed.
* The kaiju Wario and giant nose boss in ''[[VideoGame/WarioWare WarioWare Inc: Smooth Moves]]''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Beat 'em Up]]
* The final missile in ''VideoGame/RushNAttack''.
* ''VideoGame/CyborgJustice'' has every inch of the FinalBoss explode 4 times.
* The first boss in ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}} in Battlemaniacs''.
* All of the final boss's forms in ''VideoGame/DynamiteDux''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Driving Game]]
* Bosses in ''Super VideoGame/SpyHunter''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:First Person Shooter]]
* Each time a Gargantua is killed in ''VideoGame/HalfLife1'', its death is marked by a series of explosions.
* ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' does this with Gunships.
* Happens every time a boss is defeated in ''VideoGame/{{Reelism}}''.
* The force field generators in ''VideoGame/CombatInstinct'' ''1'', and the warpgate in ''2''.
* The [[FinalBoss Icon of Sin]] in ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' 2.
* The [[FinalBoss Kilmaat Queen]]'s second form in ''VideoGame/{{Powerslave}}''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Platform Game]]
* The bosses in ''VideoGame/ActRaiser''
* The bosses in ''VideoGame/MoonCrystal''. It's strange because large part of the bosses are living creatures.
* Bosses in NES version of ''[[VideoGame/JoeAndMac Joe & Mac]]''. Notable that the bosses are dinosaurs.
%% * Bosses in 2D ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'' games.
* One of the castles in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld''.
* Half of the bosses in ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones - The Rescue of Dino and Hoppy''. Besides the final boss, other bosses are not mechanical at all. In the sequel, that won't happen since bosses seem to fall through the floor.
* Many minibosses in the original ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic'' series.
* A few bosses of ''VideoGame/ConquestOfTheCrystalPalace''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/LittleNemoTheDreamMaster''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/LittleSamson'' carry explosives around too in case they get killed.
* Bosses in ''Silent Assault''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/JazzJackrabbit'' have red chain of explosions accompanied by sparks.
* Third and both phases of the fifth boss in ''VideoGame/MrGimmick''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/NinjaCrusaders''.
* A large robot dog and Shredder in the first ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' NES game.
* Most of the bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Vectorman}}'' series.
* A lot of the bosses in ''VideoGame/GargoylesQuest'' series. One of its sequels, ''VideoGame/DemonsCrest'', takes it further when even the regular enemies qualify.
* The floating island in the end of chapter 6 of ''[[VideoGame/MeatBoy Super Meat Boy]]'' with the help of SelfDestructMechanism.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/DecapAttack''
* Many bosses, minibosses and pieces of scenery in ''VideoGame/DynamiteHeaddy''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim''.
* Most bosses in ''VideoGame/EarnestEvans''.
* Bosses in ''[[VideoGame/GhostsNGoblins Ghouls 'n Ghosts]]''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Spinmaster}}'', organic ones included.
* Some bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Kirby}}'' series are borderline that but a few of them (like Wham Bam bosses) are true examples. Explosions are replaced with pentagrams though.
* The first and third bosses of ''VideoGame/{{Bug}}'' Justified for the first boss, since the giant snail's shell acts like a helicopter bomber, not so justified for the giant swamp worm.
* Except for the [[QuirkyMinibossSquad Teki trio]], most bosses and stuff blows this way in ''VideoGame/CannonDancer''.
* All bosses in two out of the three games which form part of ''VideoGame/ThreeWonders'': ''Midnight Wanderers'' and ''Chariot''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/MeikyuujouHydra''.
* Bosses in ''Mitsume ga Tooru''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/MyLittlePonyRiseOfTheClockworkStallions''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/ChakanTheForeverMan''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Pulseman}}''.
* Bosses in ''Ultraman Club''.
* Normal enemies in ''The Great Battle IV''.
* The train boss, Godzilla, and the final boss in ''VideoGame/TheRevengeOfShinobi''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/MyLittlePonyMagicShards'' but with twinkling stars instead of explosions.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Time Strategy]]
* Several unit and building death animations in ''VideoGame/StarcraftII''
* ''VideoGame/Pikmin1'': After a Burrowing Snagret is defeated, its head explodes in a burst of feathers and the rest of its snakelike body is destroyed in a series of smaller explosions.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Role Playing Game]]
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Faxanadu}}''.
* ''VideoGame/SecretOfEvermore'' bosses get the "simple destruction" variation.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/AdventureKingdom'' though, with one last large explosion in the end before destruction.
* The final boss of ''VideoGame/BlueDragon'' sinks into lava while numerous explosions erupt across his body.
* The Power Platform at the end of ''VideoGame/PaperMario64''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shoot 'em Up]]
* Final boss in ''VideoGame/{{Galaga}} '88''.
* Bosses and walls in ''VideoGame/HeavyBarrel''.
* Both phases of final boss in ''VideoGame/{{Jackal}}''
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/IronTank''.
* A few bosses and minibosses in ''VideoGame/LegendaryWings''.
* Bosses in ''S.C.A.T.''. Rather long variation.
* Bosses in ''SectionZ''.
* Bosses in ''Silkworm''.
* Bosses in ''Star Soldier''.
* Many bosses in ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' series.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/AirBuster''. Rather humble variety.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/ArrowFlash''.
* Bosses in ''Elemental Master''.
* Bosses in ''Granada''.
* Larger enemies, barricades and bosses in ''Mercs''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/TwinkleTale''.
* Bosses and minibosses in ''VideoGame/{{Axelay}}''.
* Larger enemies in ''VideoGame/BioMetal''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/ForgottenWorlds''.
* Bosses in the first ''VideoGame/{{Darius}}''.
* Bosses and structures in ''VideoGame/RaptorCallOfTheShadows'' will suffer from multiple explosions once they have taken enough damage. The buildings themselves have sequential explosions that move from one end to the other, interestingly.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Guxt}}''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/MidnightResistance''.
* Algeroth, the final boss of ''VideoGame/DoomTroopers''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Simulation Game]]
* Destroying a ship in ''VideoGame/FTLFasterThanLight'' makes it give off a few explosions before falling apart.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Wide Open Sandbox]]
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Ufouria}}''. The FinalBoss takes it [[UpToEleven Up to Sixteen]].
[[/folder]]
[[hardline]]

[[AC:Series of explosions after destruction]]

[[folder:Action Game]]
* 3/5 of the bosses in ''VideoGame/ViceProjectDoom''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Action Adventure]]
* Large normal enemies in Super Metroid turn into a cloud of explosions upon defeat.
* Bosses in MetalStorm turn into a whole screenful of the best 8-bit explosions ever.
* Oddly, in ''VideoGame/MonsterParty'' normal enemies die like this, but not the bosses who just fade away.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Platform Game]]
* Regular enemies in ''Gremlins 2'', although the series of explosions is rather silent.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/KabukiQuantumFighter''.
* The final boss in ''VideoGame/{{Karnov}}''
* Bosses and minibosses in ''VideoGame/AdventureIsland II, III'' and ''IV''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/TotallyRad''.
* A few of the bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Vectorman}}'' series.
* Bosses in ''Batman'' and ''Batman: Return of the Joker''.
* Both normal enemies and bosses in ''VideoGame/PowerBlade''.
* Minibosses in ''VideoGame/MegaMan2AtariDemake''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rhythm Game]]
* "Bosses" in ''VideoGame/BitTrip Beat''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shoot 'em Up]]
* Minibosses and some of the stone walls in ''IronTank''.
* Bosses in ''Mechanized Attack''.
* Regular enemies in ''VideoGame/{{Gaiares}}''.
* Bosses in ''Hellfire''.
* Some of the bosses in ''Lightening Force''.
* Bosses in ''Syvalion''.
* Larger enemies in ''Axelay''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Strategy Game]]
* In ''Tank Wars'', one of the most satisfying things that could happen was seeing your post death explosion take out the tanks that killed you.
[[/folder]]
[[hardline]]

[[AC:Big boom at the end]]

[[folder:Action Game]]
* The AK supertank boss in ''[[VideoGame/BattleCity TankForce]]''.
* Bigger bosses in ''VideoGame/ShadowOfTheNinja''.
* Bosses and a few minibosses in ''VideoGame/{{Shatterhand}}''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/MegaMan8.'' and ''VideoGame/Megaman11.''
* Some large Lambent in ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar3.''
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/AxiomVerge'' are covered with eight-bit explosions, and then massively explode into paint in slow-motion.
* Most bosses in ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' die in a more [[LudicrousGibs meaty]] version of this.
* Stage bosses in ''VideoGame/BlazingChrome'' turn into a huge, slowly expanding fireball.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Action Adventure Game]]
* The first planet in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid''.
* Major ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' and ''VideoGame/{{Guxt}}'' bosses.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheMinishCap'', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwordsAdventures'' and ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkBetweenWorlds''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/CastleInTheDarkness'' explode all over while spouting coins, then burst into a ring of sparkles.
* Liquid Snake's Hind helicopter in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Beat Em Up]]
* Every mechanical boss in ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime'', and Cement Man in the arcade version. Also, every boss in ''The Hyperstone Heist''.
* The floating baseball stadium dropship in the final stage of ''VideoGame/NinjaBaseballBatman''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fighting Game]]
* Opponents in ''VideoGame/TechRomancer''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:First Person Shooter]]
* The destroyer boss in ''VideoGame/CombatInstinct''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Platform Game]]
* The main enemy base in the ending of ''VideoGame/BionicCommando''.
* A few bosses in ''VideoGame/DemonsCrest''.
* Bosses and minibosses in ''VideoGame/{{Purple}}'' do this with stars instead of flames.
* Bosses in the ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' and ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'' series.
* All bosses in ''VideoGame/MegaManX7'' and ''VideoGame/MegaManX8''. Also, ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX X1]]'''s fortress bosses.
* Wily's castle and it's bosses in ''VideoGame/MegaMan7''.
* Multiple mechanical bosses in both ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' [[VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2 games]].
* The bosses of ''VideoGame/LyleInCubeSector'' go out like this. [[spoiler:The final boss exploding is also how Lyle escapes the pit he and the boss fell into]].
* Wily's escape pod at the end of ''VideoGame/MegaManII''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/KeroBlaster''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Role Playing Game]]
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', almost everyone explodes with several small explosions followed by a big one. Even living beings like the [[Anime/TekkamanBlade Radam beasts]].
%%* Bosses in ''VideoGame/TrialsOfMana''.
* ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'': If you upgraded the ''Normandy''[='s=] main gun, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROV6bmWDY1w shooting the Collector cruiser]] causes it to be wracked by a series of fiery explosions before going up with a PlanarShockwave.
* Huff N. Puff in ''VideoGame/PaperMario64''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shoot 'em Up]]
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/DonPachi''.
* Minibosses and bosses in ''VideoGame/GunNac''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Ikaruga}}''.
* Capital chips in ''VideoGame/{{Zanac}}''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/MushihimeSama'' series.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Gaiares}}''.
* Bosses in ''[[VideoGame/{{Aleste}} M.U.S.H.A.]]''.
* Many bosses from ''VideoGame/{{Fraxy}}''.
* A planet at the beginning of ''S.C.A.T.''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/BioMetal''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Raiden}}'' games.
* ''VideoGame/StarFox64'' has the train boss crashing into a weapons depot in [[TheScottishTrope The Scottish Planet]], demonstrating the (at the time) newfangled rumble feature like few games have since. Made all the more satisfying in that going to the planet and the train's demise are both optional.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/HeroCore''.
* Any ship in ''VideoGame/EscapeVelocity'' will suffer a series of secondary explosions at random intervals, the duration of said series dependent on the ship's [=DeathDelay=] stat. If said stat is more than 60 frames, the ship blows up in a huge explosion that damages anything in a radius dependent on the ship's mass.
* Bosses in later games in the ''VideoGame/{{Darius}}'' series.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Simulation Game]]
* Everything bigger than a fighter in ''VideoGame/FreeSpace''. The bigger the ship, the more little explosions go off before the big boom that typically splits the whole ship in half.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Strategy Game]]
%%* Bosses in ''Imperium''. (Administrivia/ZeroContextExample)
* ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'': Sectopods explode four times when destroyed. With ''[[ExpansionPack Enemy Within]]'' running, the last explosion deals considerable damage up to four tiles away.
[[/folder]]
[[hardline]]

[[AC:Series of explosions followed by big white flash]]

[[folder:Action Adventure Game]]
* Some bosses in ''VideoGame/CaveStory''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Adventure Game]]
* In ''VideoGame/{{Obsidian}}'', if you decide to [[spoiler: use the [[MoralityChip Crossover Switch]] to crash Ceres' systems, the AI's entire world self-destructs bit by bit, while the Conductor lets out a BigNo, before she too explodes in a white flash, ending with the Obsidian structure destroyed and you and Max returned to reality.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Platform Game]]
* Bosses in the ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' 1-6. X4 and X5 use [[StreetFighter Akuma's]] trademark FinishingMove sound effect, just so you know they didn't live through it.
* Major story bosses (mostly the Bonne fights) in VideoGame/MegaManLegends.
* Bosses in VideoGame/{{Shantae}} and the Pirate's Curse.
* Bosses in ''The Great Battle IV''.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/SkeletonBoomerang''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rail Shooter]]
* The Magician in ''VideoGame/HouseOfTheDead''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Role Playing Game]]
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana''.
* Destromon in ''VideoGame/DigimonWorld3''.
* Bosses in the later ''Ys'' games.
* [[TrueFinalBoss Malthael]] from ''VideoGame/Diablo3'', but replace "explosions" with "escaping souls."
* Bowser's castle at the end of ''VideoGame/PaperMario64''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Shoot 'em Up]]
* Some bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Hydorah}}''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Wide Open Sandbox]]
* Capital ships and space stations in the ''[[VideoGame/{{X}} X-Universe]]'' series suffer two or three secondary explosions, then one enormous flash that completely disintegrates ships and leaves a burned-out hulk behind in the case of most stations. Anything corvette-size or smaller explodes immediately in a small fireball, averting the trope. The explosions do no damage in the vanilla game, though various GameMods such as ''Xtended'' add it.
** Capital ships in ''Videogame/XRebirth'' will have dozens of explosions go through their hull, then a massive implosion followed by an explosion as the jumpdrive goes critical. Ships near the explosion take massive damage.
[[/folder]]
[[hardline]]

[[AC:Series of explosions followed by something other]]

[[folder:Action Adventure Game]]
* Without actually exploding himself, Balrog from ''VideoGame/CaveStory'' does this.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' are consumed in explosions before pixellizing into their Core-X forms.
* Bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Alundra}}'' erupt all over with brilliant explosion, then give a death cry and fade into blue light.
* Most bosses in ''VideoGame/ChaosLegion'' are covered with dozens of fiery explosions and then simply die.
* ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaChroniclesOfSorrow Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow]]''[='s=] true ending has the castle explode repeatedly before imploding.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:FightingGames]]
* In ''VideoGame/GundamWingEndlessDuel'', defeated fighters collapse while repeatedly exploding.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Platform Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/KeroBlaster'', [[spoiler:both of Nanao's forms shrink upon defeat]] after exploding.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Shoot 'em Up]]
* Bosses from ''VideoGame/RadiantSilvergun'' spout fiery explosions and then ''implode'' into a tiny ball of light.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Platform Game]]
* Final boss transforms back in to normal ''VideoGame/DrChaos'' after series of explosions.
* Tor's HumongousMecha in ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'' first has various parts exploding, then what's left disappears with the same special effect it appeared with.
* The three Captain Syrup final bosses in ''VideoGame/WarioLand2'' explode repeatedly before both Syrup and her machine [[DeathThrows fall off the screen]].
* Bass in ''VideoGame/MegaMan7'' explodes, talks, and teleports away.
[[/folder]]

[[hardline]]

!Examples from Other Media

[[AC:Anime & Manga]]
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing'', Space Fortress Barge does this after having [[WaveMotionGun its main cannon]] cleaved open by Zechs Merquise and Epyon's beam saber.
* ''Manga/InuYasha'': Sesshoumaru's true sword, Bakusaiga, utterly destroys everything it cuts, and ''everything that touches what it cuts''.
* ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' loves this.

[[AC:Film]]
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'': The second Death Star is destroyed when the Rebels' attack on its main reactor initiates a chain reaction of explosions that quickly spread through the battlestation before culminating in a larger detonation that destroys it.
** ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'': After Anakin puts two proton torpedoes into one of the reactors, the Trade Federation ship explodes at random points all over its hull before splitting in half.
* In ''Film/WarOfTheWorlds'', Ray sticks a grenade into a tripod. The tripod then explodes repeatedly and falls over.
* At the climax of ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', Planet Ego goes out with a massive chain reaction after Groot's bomb explodes on the core.
* ''Film/GreenLantern2011'': [[spoiler: Hal Jordan punches Parallax into the sun, causing him to repeatedly explode]].
* [[spoiler:The ICSS's self-destruct sequence]] in ''Film/{{Geostorm}}'' is this.

[[AC:Live Action TV]]
* In the ''Franchise/StargateVerse'' it is a preferable destruction animation of ships destruction but these explosions hardly count as small.
* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' MonsterOfTheWeek types tend to spark a lot before dramatically falling and then going up in a huge ball of [[MadeOfExplodium explodium]].
* The villain in the Series/KamenRiderHibiki movie [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaKCJagkWyM goes out this way.]]
* This is how [[spoiler:Batsu]] of ''Series/TomicaHeroRescueForce'' goes out.

[[AC:Pinball]]
* When you sink a ship in ''Pinball/BlackRose'', it explodes several times before sinking for good.

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]
* In WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack, [[spoiler: this is how Aku finally goes out.]]

[[AC:Real Life]]
* Fireworks factory and fireworks or munitions storage explosions are some of the closest it's possible to get to this trope without deliberately setting it up.
* This is how several real life aircraft carriers were lost during World War II (and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_USS_Forrestal_fire how the USS Forrestal was nearly lost after an accidental fire during the Vietnam War]]). An aircraft carrier in wartime has a lot of explosive stuff lying around both on and below flight decks (bombs, fuel lines, bombed-up and fueled-up aircraft, etc.) If there is a fire, there is a good chance that fire would spread to these incendiary objects, start a chain reaction, and lead to catastrophic results. In such situations, a viable tactic to save the carrier is to literally grab anything explosive that isn’t bolted down and chuck it overboard, even if this means ditching entire planes.
** Note that ideally, said flammable/explosive things are kept safely stowed away (preferably in protected areas away from each other), but certain operations necessitate moving them to more exposed areas, such as arming and launching aircraft, or moving ammunition from the magazine to the guns. Several RealLife examples of ships being destroyed due to this trope were the result of unsafe practices meant to more quickly move the process along (this was infamously how several of the Royal Navy's battlecruisers met their untimely end at the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI Battle of Jutland]].)
* The Deepwater Horizon/Macondo blowout and explosion is a modern textbook example of this trope as well as being a case of DisasterDominoes:
** The well casing cement fails, allowing wellbore pressure to rise beyond manageable levels.
** The blowout preventer's annular fails to contain the pressure. The well blows out on the rig floor, venting wellbore contents.
** The MGS (Mud-Gas Separator, also called a Gasbuster) fails to keep up with the volume of gas in the mud being pushed out of the well. This causes a fail-deadly situation as gas begins to build up around the platform, particularly around the wellhead.
** Gas is sucked into the platform generator air intakes, causing generators to overspeed until they explode.
** The fire flashes back to the wellhead.
** The accumulated gas cloud on the drilling floor and surrounding the platform explodes. This entrenches the fire that will ultimately cause the platform to sink.
* Decades ago, before the currently accepted models of supermassive black holes and/or large-scale star formation concentrated there fueling them, it was proposed that supernova chain reactions would power active galactic nuclei as quasars.
** Today, more accurate modeling reveals that individual supernovas are often examples of this trope, with their intensity and duration coming from rapid (on the cosmic scale) cycles of collapse, explosion, and re-collapse of the remaining matter over several hours, days, or weeks until enough kinetic energy has been bled off to collapse fully into a black hole or stellar remnant.
----

A common effect in 2D action games, particularly [[ShootEmUp shoot 'em ups]] of the 1990s. Subtrope of StuffBlowingUp, often with MadeOfExplodium. Not to be confused with DisasterDominoes.

* This is how several real life aircraft carriers were lost during World War II (and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967_USS_Forrestal_fire how the USS Forrestal was nearly lost after an accidental fire during the Vietnam War]]). An aircraft carrier in wartime has a lot of explosive stuff lying around both on and below flight decks (bombs, fuel lines, bombed-up and fueled-up aircraft, etc.) If there is a fire, there is a good chance that fire would spread to these incendiary objects, start a chain reaction, and lead to catastrophic results.

[[folder:Shoot 'em Up]]
* Bosses from ''VideoGame/RadiantSilvergun'' spout fiery explosions and then ''implode'' into a tiny ball of light.

* If you upgraded the ''Normandy's'' main gun in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROV6bmWDY1w the Collector cruiser explodes this way]] once your CoolStarship gets through with it.

* Bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' explode repeatedly.

* Two examples from ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** The second Death Star in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' exhibits this before its final explosion.
** In ''Film/ThePhantomMenace'', the Trade Federation ship explodes at random points all over its hull before engulfing the command section after Anakin puts two proton torpedoes into one of the reactors.

* The [[BossInMookClothing Burrowing Snargets]] in ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}''

* ''Film/GreenLantern'': [[spoiler: Hal Jordan punches Parallax into the sun, causing him to repeatedly explode]].

* Both normal enemies and bosses in ''VideoGame/PowerBlade''.

* Bosses in ''Super VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}''.

A trope seen in video games. Basically, a larger thing, be it a larger enemy, boss, an entire structure or sometimes even a planet, makes numerous smaller explosions scattered across its surface (often with regular time intervals) before finally making a big bang or just simply being destroyed.

Usually, mechanical constructions in Real Life don't have tens of parts that explode, especially at regular intervals. However, you might notice that many examples below are made from even less volatile material like concrete which isn't known to explode in real life at all. Some examples take it step further so now even characters made of meat and flesh can cause explosions in a similar manner, be it an alien or a pirate captain. Strangely, they often aren't carrying explosives or firecrackers with them either to justify these explosions.

It's also often observed that while explosions often appear in random places on the surface of the destroyed thing or character, they can also appear in the vicinity of the destroyed thing and not on the surface of this thing at all. Moreover, some of the exploding things themselves disappear right before the series of explosions occur, making you wonder how can explosion chain reaction occur out of thin air. That might forever be a mystery. Maybe the explosions happen because of RuleOfCool.

The origins of this trope are currently unknown but may have been initially used because of technical limitation of consoles. Making a big explosion with sprites only will bring a third generation console down to a crawl so several small explosions which appear at different time intervals, were used instead since it's much more resource-friendly to the console. Then it was noticed that it looked cool anyway and that's why we have it in games on much more powerful consoles.

The regularity of this trope is the most clearly seen in third generation and fourth generation video games with about every 16th NES game having explosions like these. After that period, the usage of this has been reduced slightly, but it's still almost always played straight since it is not very recognized trope. Usually, 2D games use chain explosions more often.

Subtrope of StuffBlowingUp, often with MadeOfExplodium. They're also common in games where every enemy tends to explode.

More than 3 explosions counts as this trope. Less than that, and you're better off looking at DefeatEqualsExplosion.

Not to be confused with DisasterDominoes.

* The three Captain Syrup final bosses in ''VideoGame/WarioLand2'' explode repeatedly before both Syrup and her machine [[DeathThrows fall off the screen]].