History Main / DeathByAdaptation

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'', Link's uncle gets killed off by Agahnim and later brought back to life by Link's Triforce-empowered wish, but he doesn't get wished back to life in any of the three [[Manga/TheLegendOfZelda manga]] or the [[ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast comic]].

* ''Literature/MobileSuitGundam'' has Amuro Ray die near the end, he and the Gundam (the G-3 rather than the original RX-78-2, which also suffers this trope) is destroyed by a Rick Dom due to a PoorCommunicationKills moment. When the novel was released, this was a type 1 as Yoshiyuki Tomino had no idea ''Gundam'' would become popular.

* The novelization of ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam'' has Kiki commit suicide by [[TongueSuicide biting off her tongue]] when she is captured and gang-raped by Federation soldiers]].

* In the original ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'', Alberto faked his death on New Year's Eve only to reveal himself alive on the night of Labor Day, and Sofia Falcone saw revealed to have survived her fall at the climax of that story in its sequel, ''ComicBook/BatmanDarkVictory'', the final issues of which would see them both die. In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheLongHalloween'', Alberto really is killed on New Year's and the fall Sofia takes in the film is fatal.

** In many adaptations or in the mainline series itself, Jonathan Kent tends to die due to a poor heart. Here, he dies because Superman swats away Green Arrow's arrow and strikes him instead, killing him.

[[folder:Other]]
* In Myth/ClassicalMythology, the children of Cronus were SwallowedWhole by their father, but survived upon his defeat by their brother Zeus due to CompleteImmortality. The painting ''Saturn Devouring His Son'' by Creator/FranciscoDeGoya depicts the god [[BloodierAndGorier biting into the bloodily dismembered remains of his child]].
[[/folder]]

* DeathByAdaptation/{{Anime}}

** The events kick off with the death of Batman fighting Ra's al'Ghul one last time and self-destructing the Bat-Cave [[TakingYouWithMe to make damn sure Ra's is dead. The final act of the game sees Batman [[BackFromTheDead returning thanks to a Lazarus Pit]] (and serving as a FinalBoss thanks to being driven crazy from the Pit's chemicals), being [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan knocked back to his senses by his proteges]], giving them one final SoProudOfYouSpeech and blowing up the Lazarus Pit, dying again and for good]].

* Jefferson, Comicbook/MilesMorales' dad in ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan2012''. Ironically, it was Miles' ''mom'' who died in the comics.
* Allura in ''WesternAnimation/VoltronLegendaryDefender''.
* Viper in ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution''.

** Episode 5 loosely adapts ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'' in a plot inspired by ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies''. [[ComicBook/TheWasp Janet Van Dyne]] is revealed to have been DeadAllAlong in the Quantum Realm, and her "rescue" unleashes a ZombieApocalypse that claims the lives of Hank Pym, ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, Iron Man, Black Widow, ComicBook/TheFalcon, ComicBook/DoctorStrange, Wong, ComicBook/ScarletWitch, Aunt May, [[ComicBook/Agent13 Sharon Carter]], Happy Hogan, Hope Van Dyne, Kurt, Okoye, ComicBook/BuckyBarnes, the Hulk and even ComicBook/{{Thanos}}. By the end of the episode, ComicBook/SpiderMan, ComicBook/BlackPanther, and ComicBook/AntMan (who has been reduced to a [[BrainInAJar Head In A Jar]]) are the only superheroes who are still shown to be alive.

* ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'': In most other continuities, Donald was raised by his loving parents who died when he was a young adult. In this version, they both died with he was a small child, leading Donald and Della to be raised by their Uncle Scrooge.

* In ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' musical (and its maligned sequel), Christine dies and becomes TheLostLenore for Raoul and the Phantom. In the [[Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera original novel]] by Gaston Leroux, Christine survived all the way to the end and eloped to Scandinavia with Raoul and her adoptive mother, contrary to Webber's version she actually outlives the titular Phantom himself who has a DeathByDespair.

* ''ComicBook/DCComicsBombshells'': While ComicBook/SteveTrevor has died in the main DCU it's usually played off with him coming back in some form or another very quickly, even if it's just his body being possessed, in this continutiy he dies and stays dead. By the overveiw at the end even his gravesite has been lost.

** ''ComicBook/GIJoeDevilsDue'', which was meant to be a continuation of ''ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel'', killed off Flash, Mainframe and Lady Jaye, though those deaths were later undone by [[ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroIDW IDW's continuation]] supplanting the Devil's Due comic and rendering it [[CanonDiscontinuity non-canon]].

* ''ComicBook/GIJoeVsTheTransformers'' kills off several ''G.I. Joe'' and ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' characters who usually survived until the end of the series. The most notable casualties are Bumblebee, Xamot, Major Bludd, Mercer and Megatron.

** The miniseries begins with Sinestro killing Arkillo, G'Nort, Saint Walker, Fatality, Larfleeze, Bleez and Munk in a ritual sacrifice to activate the Universal Ring that the Guardians disposed of by dumping it into the Forbidden Zone.

* The ''Series/{{Smallville}}: Season 11'' comics made Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner into {{Posthumous Character}}s, with John Stewart being Earth's last surviving Comicbook/GreenLantern.

** Rather than sustaining injuries in his fight against Optimus Prime and being reformatted into Galvatron by Unicron, Megatron is offlined from the start when Optimus Prime shoots him in the head. As a consequence, the damaged Decepticons end up completely devoured by Unicron after being dumped into space from Astrotrain rather than being reformatted into Cyclonus, Scourge and the Sweeps.
** Ultra Magnus, Arcee, Springer and Perceptor end up perishing when their shuttle explodes, when they not only survived the events of the original animated movie, but also lived to the very end of [[WesternAnimation/TheTransformers the associated cartoon]]'s remaining episodes.
** Hot Rod ultimately sacrifices himself to aid in defeating Megascream (a reformatted Starscream) and Unicron, when he survived to the very end of the original cartoon even after he gave the position of Autobot leader back to a resurrected Optimus Prime.
* In ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'', when J. Jonah Jameson gives his FreudianExcuse for not trusting Spider-Man, he mentions in passing that his son is dead, when John Jameson is still alive in the regular Marvel continuity.
* In the second volume of ''ComicBook/VictorianUndead'' (aka Victorian Undead II) which covers vampires and retells the Dracula novel. It's revealed that Mina killed herself after being bitten by Dracula via sunlight rather then turn into a vampire. Arthur, who turns against the heroes and sides with Dracula for the sake of Lucy, dies when Lucy turns on him to heal herself and Seward is killed during the fight against the vampire brides. Oddly Quincy dies in this version too but he likewise did so in the main book.

* Hrothgar in the 2007 ''WesternAnimation/{{Beowulf|2007}}''. In the poem, we don't see him again after Beowulf kills Grendel's mother and the story [[TimeSkip skips to]] Beowulf as a king in a different country. In the film, once Beowulf claims to have killed her, Hrothgar gives him his throne and commits suicide out of the shame for being a fraud who fathered Grendel in the first place.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLordOfTheRings'', Bill the pony is eaten by the Watcher in the Water. In the original novels, Bill is initially presumed dead, but later turns up alive and well.

* ''WesternAnimation/WonderWomanBloodlines'': Julia Kapatelis was kind ally in ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1987'' whose life was threatened on occasion but was always saved. In this iteration she dies at the hands of Diana's foes to give her daughter motivation to turn on Wondy, instead of having her tortured and mind raped into it.

** Abin Sur appears as a corpse in the custody of the U.S. government, when in the comics his Flashpoint timeline counterpart was stil alive as a member of the Green Lantern Corps and only died briefly before being revived by the Life Entity as a White Lantern.

* There is actually is a pro-hunting educational book out there called ''Little Jake and the Three Bears'' that has the titular Little Jake off one of said bears and ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'s'' father. As if kids weren't traumatized enough by Bambi's mother's death.

* The novelization of ''Film/GhostbustersII'' has [[ObstructiveBureaucrat Jack Hardemeyer]] devoured by the Museum's slime barrier. This was filmed, but left out of the final film, where he's last seen singing Auld Lang Syne outside the museum with the other bystanders.

* The first book in ''Literature/TheHardyBoys Casefiles'' killed off Joe's longtime girlfriend Iola Morton via carbomb, to show [[DarkerAndEdgier how these books would be different from the main ones]]. However, the ''Casefiles'' series was being written alongside more traditional style Hardy Boys books, in which Iola was still alive. [[note]] Ironically, Frank's girlfriend Callie Shaw, who survived in ''Casefiles'', later suffered from ChuckCunninghamSyndrome in later adaptations, while Iola continued to appear. [[/note]]

* Quentin Coldwater in ''Literature/TheMagicians''. In the books he survives saving Fillory and leaves with Alice to guide the world he created. In ''Series/TheMagicians'' he died saving Earth from evil minor gods, by fixing a mirror needed for their banishment.

* ''Morphine'' by Mikhail Bulgakov is a story about how a doctor becomes a morphine addict during the revolution, and is based on Bulgakov's own experiences, with the main protagonist Polyakov clearly based on Bulgakov. The story end with Polyakov being DrivenToSuicide. In real life, Bulgakov was able to overcome his addiction and lived for over 20 more years.

* The novelization for ''Film/PacificRim'' pretty explicitly states that Hannibal Chau's trip down the gullet of a Kaiju was fatal. In the movie he's spared by TheStinger.
* The novelization of ''Film/RoboCop2'' includes a scene with one of [[BigBad Cain]]'s lieutenants, Catzo, get in a knife fight with Officer Lewis, where she kills him. The scene was filmed, but cut from the final film, resulting in Catzo's fate [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse becoming ambiguous]]. The scene was used in the comic adaptation as well, though in that instance it was an unnamed thug who looked nothing like the Elvis wannabe from the film.

* The "Extra Gory" version of the Music/WeirdAlYankovic song "The Night Santa Went Crazy" ends with Santa getting shot in the head, when the regular version merely has him serving [[LongerThanLifeSentence a 700-year prison sentence]].

* In ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' musical (and its malinged sequel) Christine dies and becomes TheLostLenore for Raoul and the Phantom. In the [[Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera orignal novel]] by Gaston Leroux Chrstine survived all the way to the end and eloped to Scandinavia with Raoul and her adoptive mother, contrary to Webber's version she actually outlives the titular Phantom himself who has a DeathByDespair.
* The serialized tale of ''The Cunning Little Vixen'' ended with vixen Sharp-Ears alive and wed (the latter [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane may have just been a hallucination by the woodsman]]), though the last paragraph suggested that she was probably dead ''by now'', since this was all set in an unspecified but idyllic past. The opera had her shot dead in front of her defenseless cubs, then skinned and her pelt presented as a wedding gift by the one stealing the woodsman's love interest. And yet it's still considered a comedy.

* In ''Fighting Fantasy Legends'' by ''Nomad Games'', which combines ''The City of Thieves'', ''Citadel of Chaos'' and ''Warlock of Firetop Mountain'', the ''The City of Thieves'' book has a Hag who's hair you need. If you used a Mind Control Potion, your character became immune to Hag's magic and throws her into an open sewer for an UncertainDoom. In this video game, your character does throw the Hag into the sewer, but in this adaptation there's also a giant venomous snake in the area and it attacks the Hag until there's only one survivor.

** The first trailer mentioned Commissioner Gordon has having died, making the Gotham City Police fall back into being absurdly corrupt and hostile to the Bat-Family. One of the various events the player can do within the game is even visiting Gordon's grave and meet Renee Montoya when she arrives few minutes later to pay her own respects.
** The events kick off with the death of Batman fighting Ra's al'Ghul one last time, and self-destructing the Bat-Cave [[TakingYouWithMe to make damn sure Ra's is dead. The final act of the game sees Batman [[BackFromTheDead returning thanks to a Lazarus Pit]] (and serving as a FinalBoss thanks to being driven crazy from the Pit's chemicals), being [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan knocked back to his senses by his proteges]], giving them one final SoProudOfYouSpeech and blowing up the Lazarus Pit, dying again and for good]].

* ''VideoGame/SpiderManPS4'' sees ComicBook/MilesMorales' father Jefferson killed when the Demons attack a rally for ComicBook/NormanOsborn. Aunt May dies when ComicBook/DoctorOctopus unleashes the the Devil's Breath, and Peter has to put TheNeedsOfTheMany to allow the serum to be mass-produced over saving her.

* In ''Bandit Kings of Ancient China,'' which is based off of ''[[Literature/WaterMargin The Water Margin]]'', [[BigBad Gao Qiu]] is executed by the player's winning hero in the game's GoldenEnding, which revokes his novel counterpart's KarmaHoudini.

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'': In the TTRPG, Kei Arasaka was Saburo's right hand man, heir apparent to the [[MegaCorp Arasaka corporation]] and Saburo's most loyal supporter among his children. In the video game, Kei is mentioned in a blink-and-you-miss-it dialogue to have died some years before the game, and that it was this incident that led Saburo to turn his eyes and hand to his other children Yorinobu and Hanako.

* Mei-Ling, Hsien-Ko's sister, was killed by Demitri at a young age in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Darkstalkers}}'' cartoon. In [[VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}} the games]], Mei-Ling is still alive as an adult, and appears in some of Hsien-Ko's intros and victory poses (in addition to transforming into the talisman on Hsien-Ko's forehead during combat).

** ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock'' sees the title character's mother, Jean Hawkins, die before her son Virgil become the titular Static, whereas in the ''ComicBook/{{Static}}'' comics, she's still alive.

** Archibald Desnay was a very different character compared to his ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'' counterpart, and is a younger character more capable of taking the leadership role of the Whitestone rebellion. Unfortunately, Percy's refusal to take the lead left a lot of red flags not existent in the D&D counterpart. Sure enough, Archibald attempted to duel Duke Goran Vedmire to protect Snanlan, which resulted in [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe Archie getting chopped in half,]] leaving Percy horrified.

** Episode 5 loosely adapts ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' and ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'' in a plot inspired by ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies''. [[ComicBook/TheWasp Janet Van Dyne]] is revealed to have been DeadAllAlong in the Quantum Realm, and her "rescue" unleashes a ZombieApocalypse that claims the lives of Hank Pym, ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, Iron Man, Black Widow, ComicBook/TheFalcon, ComicBook/DoctorStrange, Wong, ComicBook/ScarletWitch, Aunt May, [[ComicBook/Agent13 Sharon Carter]], Happy Hogan, Hope Van Dyne, Kurt, Okoye, ComicBook/BuckyBarnes, the Hulk and even ComicBook/{{Thanos}}. By the end of the episode, ComicBook/SpiderMan, ComicBook/BlackPanther and ComicBook/AntMan (who has been reduced to a [[BrainInAJar Head In A Jar]]) are the only superheroes who are still shown to be alive.

* Another ''ComicBook/WarlordOfMars'' example: Matai Shang dies in the climax of the third book, at the hands of his former ally Thurid. In the comics, he dies much earlier than his book counterpart at the hands of Salensus Oll, another ally besides Thurid, because he didn't felt honoring his agreement.
* In ''ComicBook/SpiderManLifeStory'', Flash Thompson is killed in UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar after enlisting during college. This is contrast to the mainline continuity, where Flash became a teacher after the war and even had a crime-fighting career as [[ComicBook/{{Venom}} Agent Venom]] before meeting his end at the hands of the [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn Red Goblin]].

* In the AnimatedAdaptation of Creator/GeorgeOrwell's ''Literature/AnimalFarm'', Old Major dies peacefully as the animals sing "Beasts Of England" during their meeting, while in the original book, he dies a few days later. In the 1999 live action adaptation, he is accidentally shot by Mr. Jones during the meeting.

* In the comics, the Joker followed-up [[ComicBook/TheKillingJoke crippling Barbara Gordon]] with [[ComicBook/ADeathInTheFamily killing Jason Todd]], with Barbara even attending his funeral in a wheelchair and Joker's actions being motivated to get more money after the GCPD seized his assets after what he did to Barbara. Even ignoring that Jason [[BackFromTheDead was later resurrected]], the AnimatedAdaptation of ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheKillingJoke'' suggested the inverse happened, as one of the images Bruce looks up on the Batcomputer after he learns the Joker escaped from Arkham is an image of a bloodied Jason based on the cover of the issue where Bruce finds Jason's body.
* In the original ''ComicBook/TheLongHalloween'', Alberto faked his death on New's Year's Eve only to reveal himself alive on the night of Labor Day and Sofia Falcone saw revealed to have survived her fall at the climax of that story in its sequel, ''ComicBook/BatmanDarkVictory'', the final issues of which would see them both die. In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheLongHalloween'', Alberto really is killed on New Year's and the fall Sofia takes in the film is fatal.

* [[ComicBook/AntMan Giant-Man]] dies at the end of ''WesternAnimation/UltimateAvengers 2''. In the actual [[ComicBook/UltimateMarvel Ultimate comics]], he didn't die until until the ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'' crossover. However, as said comic was published a few years after the movie was released, it was type 1 at the time.
* ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManIntoTheSpiderVerse''[='=]s backstory sees its version of Vanessa and Richard Fisk die in an accident right after finding out about Wilson being Comicbook/TheKingpin. Additionally, as the story in set in a universe based on the ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'' universe, it's doubles as type 1 for Vanessa as her ''Ultimate'' counterpart was merely comatose (Richard was AdaptedOut).

* ''Literature/MobileSuitGundam'' has Amuro Ray die near the end, him and the Gundam (the G-3 rather than the original RX-78-2, which also suffers this trope) is destroyed by a Rick Dom due to a PoorCommunicationKills moment. When the novel was released, this was a type 1 as Yoshiyuki Tomino had no idea ''Gundam'' would become popular.

* In ''VideoGame/MegaManMaverickHunterX'', VideoGameRemake of the first ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' game, Dr. Cain is killed off in the ''Day of Sigma'' OAV before the game even starts. In the original version he's a major character in the first three games and dies of natural causes sometime between ''X4'' and ''X5''.

* Kent Nelson, the original ComicBook/DoctorFate, lives to over 100 years old in ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'', only to be struck down by ComicBook/KlarionTheWitchBoy, who wants the Helmet of Nabu for himself. He just can't catch a break!

* In the ''ComicBook/New52'' universe, a flashback in the ''ComicBook/LoisLane'' oneshot reveals that Elinor Lane died in Lois and Lucy's childhood. Her post-Crisis self was still alive as of the ''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'' universe reboot.

** The events kick off with the death of Batman [[spoiler:fighting Ra's al'Ghul one last time, and self-destructing the Bat-Cave [[TakingYouWithMe to make damn sure Ra's is dead]]. The final act of the game sees Batman [[BackFromTheDead returning thanks to a Lazarus Pit]] (and serving as a FinalBoss thanks to being driven crazy from the Pit's chemicals), being [[GetAHoldOfYourselfMan knocked back to his senses by his proteges]], giving them one final SoProudOfYouSpeech and blowing up the Lazarus Pit, dying again and for good]].

** Ex-Prince Orm, the supervillain known as Ocean Master and the original Aquaman's evil brother, is [[OffWithHisHead decapitated]] by Lady Shiva in the revival season ''WesternAnimation/YoungJusticeOutsiders'', after [[BackForTheDead having been captured offscreen since at least after season one]], when he attempts to kill the Justice League's loved ones ([[EvenEvilHasStandards something the Light was against]]). [[spoiler:It becomes a subversion when [[CloningBlues Operation Thrinos]] is used to create an Ocean Master clone, which survives, as well as inserting the original's mind into a clone body of Arion, which dies as well when disintegrated by the Lords of Order.]]
** [[spoiler:The show's villainous reinterpretation of Lor-Zod as a rogue time traveler from the ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes' future is blown up when Metron, vengeful towards his earlier break-in to his vault for the Phantom Zone projector, exploits Lor-Zod stealing the Time Sphere Metron sent Rocket to Earth in, [[KickTheSonOfABitch setting him up]] to return to the gene bomb on Mars he tried to get Superboy killed with, which then [[HoistByHisOwnPetard disintegrated him]]. However, Lor-Zod had already succeeded in freeing his family from the Phantom Zone, including his mother Ursa who had been pregnant throughout the entire duration of her stay (which is why he was born in the future of that timeline when the Zods were originally paroled there). With her escape, now as the Emerald Empress, during the battle that sees General Zod re-imprisoned and Lor-Zod escaping in the rigged Time Sphere to his death, Ursa's pregnancy continues as normal with a new version of Lor-Zod likely about to be born]].

* Ken Masters in ''ComicBook/StreetFighterMalibuComics'' is brutally beaten and scalped by Sagat after already dealing with Balrog and a handful of Shadaloo gunmen.

* In the second volume of ''Victorian Undead'' (aka Victorian Undead II) which covers vampires and retells the Dracula novel. It's revealed that Mina killed herself after being bitten by Dracula via sunlight rather then turn into a vampire. Arthur, who turns against the heroes and sides with Dracula for the sake of Lucy, dies when Lucy turns on him to heal herself and Seward is killed during the fight against the vampire brides. Oddly Quincy dies in this version too but he likewise did so in the main book.

* In ''Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera'' musical (and its malinged sequel) Christine dies and becomes TheLostLenore for Raoul and the Phantom. In the [[Literature/ThePhantomOfTheOpera orignal novel]] by Gaston Leroux Chrstine survived all the way to end and eloped to scandinavia with Raoul and her adoptive mother, contrary to Webber's version she actually outlives the titular Phantom himself who has a DeathByDespair.

%%* ''VideoGame/GothamKnights2022'':
%%** The first trailer mentioned Commissioner Gordon has having died.
%%** The events kick off with the death of Batman.

* ''VideoGame/GothamKnights'':
** The first trailer mentioned Commissioner Gordon has having died.
** The events kick off with the death of Batman.

* The novelisation of the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS26E3TheCurseOfFenric The Curse of Fenric]]" apparently decided that the KillEmAll ending didn't go far enough, so Vershinin and Bates, practically the only guest characters to survive the TV version, get shot dead by [[GeneralRipper Commander Millington]].

** [[spoiler:The show's villainous reinterpretation of Lor-Zod as a rogue time traveller is blown up when Metron [[KickTheSonOfABitch sets him up]] to return to the bomb he set up to try to get Superboy killed, and then [[HoistByHisOwnPetard be disintegrated by it]]]].

* The video game adaptation of ''Film/ABugsLife'' has Thumper, Thud, and even Molt die at the hands of Flik during their respective boss battles.

'''Warning: This is a death trope and will contain unmarked spoilers. Read the examples at your own risk'''

* ''Machinima/GamingAllStars Remastered'': Quite a few characters who lived for a good portion of the plot in ''The Ultimate Crossover'' are given the boot earlier in this version, such as VideoGame/{{Glover}} and [[VideoGame/FancyPantsAdventures Fancy Pants Man]] (The former who only shows up as a trophy, getting knocked into lava during the Giga Bowser fight, and the latter getting killed in the penultimate episode in favor of keeping [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog3 Knuckles the Echidna]] alive).