History Main / DefiantToTheEnd

* [[DefiantToTheEnd/LiveActionFilms Films - Live-Action]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* By the final act of ''Theatre/{{Carmen}}'', Don José, obsessed with Carmen, has become a CrazyJealousGuy, and Carmen has fallen in love with [[BadassBaritone Escamillo]]. Outside the bullring in Seville, Don José confronts Carmen, first to ask her nicely, then to try to bully her into returning to him. But Carmen boldly refuses to cave, instead tossing him a ring he gave her the other day before running to the bullring. [[spoiler: Too bad [[NotGoodWithRejection Don José]] [[IfICantHaveYou stabbed her in the back for it]].]]

---> Eventually Tuska was impaled through the gut by his adversary and pinned to the ground by its cloven hoof. In triumph, the Blood Prince screamed its praise to Khorne, but whilst it was distracted, the warband's remaining Weirdboys unleashed a storm of psychic energy upon the deamon. It roared in rage at their impudence, crushing their minds with a gesture. With his final act, Tuska reached up between the creature's legs with his power klaw and [[GroinAttack made a gesture of his own.]]
*** As punishment, the orks are resurrected every day to fight again. [[WarriorHeaven Talk about missing the point.]]

--> Settra said this to [[OmnicidalManiac Nagash]], one of the most terrifying villains in Warhammer Fantasy, Who offered him the position of being a Mortarch, in other words, becoming one of the Nagash's lieutenants. Settra gave this response. Nagash flipped out and then proceeded to destroy everything Settra fought for, [[AndIMustScream while keeping him alive]].

* Several times in ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'', the losing combatant gets out some defiant last lines or even final attack even when it becomes clear they can't win.

* The Paladin Thanh in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' was already commited to a LastStand against [[TheDragon Redcloak]] but even when grappled he makes sure to [[https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0827.html taunt his captor one last time]].

* In the Podcast/MythsAndLegends episode on {{Doppelganger}}s, one person who sees their doppelganger tries to have their men shoot at it.

* In ''Webvideo/MarbleHornets'' ''Entry #67,'' [[spoiler:Alex]] finds himself lying on the ground, tied to a chair and on the business end of a RoaringRampageOfRevenge from [[spoiler:Masky]]. Once the beating ends, [[spoiler:Hoody pulls out Alex's gun and points it at his face. Alex replies with a DeathGlare from the pits of Hell itself]].

* The French Foreign Legion's reputation was first established at the Battle of Camaron when 65 men fought a force of two thousand Mexicans. When they eventually ran out of ammunition, the last five men ''mounted a bayonet charge''. Beaten to the ground, the two survivors were offered one last chance to surrender. Their response? They demanded the right to keep their weapons and escort their commanding officer's body home. The Mexican commander agreed to their terms. It seemed churlish to refuse. Many years later, the Mexican government erected a monument [[WorthyOpponent in memory of the French soldiers, and every year holds a parade to commemorate their last stand.]]

* Gratien Fernando, the leader of the Cocos Islands Mutiny against the British authority on Sri Lanka. He was a Sri Lankan man who joined the Ceylon colonial forces due to his anti-fascist idealism, in hopes that he would fight against the Japanese, but he became disillusioned when he and other natives were victims of British discrimination. Inspired by the Japanese-supported resistance movements in Burma and Indonesia, he and other Sri Lankan soldiers started a mutiny against the colonial authority but it was crushed and Fernando was taken prisoner and executed. His last words were: "Loyalty to a country under the heel of a white man is disloyalty".

* In 1834, Moroccan Jewish teenager Sol Hauchel was falsely accused of converting to Islam. Brought before the Muslim governor for ludicrous charges of heresy, she was offered wealth and privilege if she accepted conversion, [[SoBeautifulItsACurse apparently because her beauty was legendary among both Jews and Muslims]], or face imprisonment and torture. She responded:

A trope commonly associated with people characterised by [[{{Determinator}} unending determination and resistance]]. Compare HannibalLecture, where the one in the powerless position interrogates their interrogator, HeroicSpirit, IShallTauntYou, DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu, YouCannotKillAnIdea. A LastStand is a military version of this trope, where the heroes and maybe a friendly army will fight against the enemy in a battle they know they can't win. VillainousValor is a similar trope, but with the villain being defiant to the end while SoreLoser is arguably a much less pleasant version of this. The polar opposite of AintTooProudToBeg and VillainsWantMercy. Contrast with ScrewYourUltimatum, where the defiance comes before the fight and where the outcome is still in doubt. See also DefiantStoneThrow, DyingCurse, and DyingDeclarationOfHate. And, if it really is the end for the character, it may be capped with a FacingTheBulletsOneLiner.

* In the apocryphal [[Literature/BooksOfMaccabees book of 2nd Maccabees]], the seven Jewish brothers who were forced to eat food forbidden by their dietary laws under the threat of death all refused to do so, preferring to remain faithful to their God instead. Their mother also joined them in the same defiant rebellion. And before them, Eleazar boldly refused to make it even look like he was eating forbidden food when meat sanctioned by the Law of God was substituted, so as to not cause other faithful Jews to turn away from God.

** Sadly, also played straight in the same war. One harrowing video shows an unarmed Ukrainian POW, captured by the Russians, smoking in the forest at gunpoint. He then looks at his captors, inhales the smoke for the last time and exclaims "Slava Ukraini"... after which he gets brutally gunned down.

** Sadly, also played straight in the same war. One harrowing video shows an unarmed Ukrainian POW, captured by the Russians, smoking in the forest at gunpoint. He then looks at his captors, inhales the smoke for the last time and exclaims "Slava Ukraini"... after which he gets brutally gunned down.**

** At the end of Volume 8, General Ironwood faces this situation [[spoiler: when he comes face to face with [[BigBad Salem]] and [[TheHeavy Cinder]].]] They have both the staff and the lamp relic. For much of the past two Volumes, [[FallenHero Ironwood]] has been framing much of [[KnightTemplar his actions]] as being the result his willingness to make the tough decisions and do whatever it took to defeat Salem. Ironwood raises his gun, having an opportunity to shoot either, who are not taking him seriously as a threat due to his self-destructive actions helping their cause. This is his moment to prove his own words, to at least delay the two villains now that he literally has nothing left to lose. [[spoiler: [[AvertedTrope He doesn't]], ultimately giving into [[DespairEventHorizon despair, believing they have all lost.]] The contrast is even more notable given that Yang had earlier been in a similar position, and had kept fighting to what likely would have been her bitter end, if not for Hazel's intervention.]]

* This is something of an Iberian tradition. In 1296, Muslims were laying siege to the Castilian town of Tarifa; they took prisoner the son of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alonso_P%C3%A9rez_de_Guzm%C3%A1n Alonso Pérez de Guzmán]], the Christian nobleman in charge of the defense, and threatened to kill his son if he didn't surrender. Dad's response? To throw down a knife from the battlements for them to kill his son with. ''[[HeirClubForMen This was his only son]]''. To this day, said nobleman is known as ''Guzmán el Bueno'' and is an important figure in Spanish history. It's very likely that Moscardó had him at least partly in mind.

* Creator/FranciscoDeGoya: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:El_Tres_de_Mayo,_by_Francisco_de_Goya,_from_Prado_thin_black_margin.jpg This]] famous picture certainly has elements of it, as well as a certain martyrism. And the pose of the man to be shot? DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything?

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:El_Tres_de_Mayo,_by_Francisco_de_Goya,_from_Prado_thin_black_margin.jpg This]] famous picture by Goya certainly has elements of it, as well as a certain martyrism. And the pose of the man to be shot? DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything?

* Russian partisan girl Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, caught by Nazis and cruelly tortured before execution, said from under the gallows:
-->[[WeAreEverywhere There are millions of Russians. You cannot hang us all]].

** That being said, there have been many Christians killed in the Middle East by extremists trying to wipe out all religions besides Islam. Stories abound with conservative Muslims [[HoistByHisOwnPetard converting to Christianity]] upon seeing the extremists' brutality and the martyrs' convictions.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stjepan_Filipović Stjepan Filipovic]], a Croatian/Yugoslav Partisan during WWII used his last breath before being hanged by Serbian Nazi collaborators to shout "Death to fascism, freedom to the people!" (It would later become the rallying cry for all of Yugoslavia.) The photo taken seconds before being hanged practically defines this trope.

* Several examples pertaining to Nazi Germany:

** During the Battle of Berlin, Hitler chose to make a LastStand rather than surrender the city to the Soviets, even when most other Germans thought it unnecessary. He eventually [[BetterToDieThenBeKilled committed suicide]] rather than be taken prisoner.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amon_Goeth Amon Goeth]], a concentration camp commander and war criminal faced his death with utter indifference and serenity. His last words were "Heil Hitler".

* Irma Grese, "the Hyena of Auschwitz". A sadistic and perverted concentration camp guardian who had tortured and murdered scores of prisoners and was believed to be the inspiration for the film ''Isla: She-Wolf Of The SS'', she was sentenced to death by hanging after WWII. Her last word to her executioner, Albert Pierrepoint, was ''Schnell'' (literally "Speed!", meaning "Have speed with it!"); in our terms, she basically said "Hurry". Grese died as a truly unrepentant Nazi.

** During the Battle of Berlin, Hitler chose to make a LastStand rather than surrender the city to the Soviets, even when most other Germans thought it unnecessary.

* Upon being ordered to surrender by the Russian warship ''Moskva'' during the opening hours of the 2022 Invasion of Ukraine, the defenders of Snake Island replied , "Russian warship, Go [[PrecisionFStrike fuck]] yourself!" The island was captured and the soldiers of Snake Island were initially reported dead but were later found to be alive as [=POWs=]; the island itself was recaptured later. On the other hand, the ''Moskva'' was sunk by Ukranian anti-ship missiles several months later.

* In ''{{WebVideo/AFK}}'', near the finale, Steven [[spoiler: is about to be executed by the Devil's Cheerleaders on Clint's orders. When asked if he has any last words, Steven responds by calmly directing a stream of expletives at Clint.]]

* In AFK, near the finale, Steven [[spoiler: is about to be executed by the Devil's Cheerleaders on Clint's orders. When asked if he has any last words, Steven responds by calmly directing a stream of expletives at Clint.]]

* In ''WebVideo/AFK'', near the finale, Steven [[spoiler: is about to be executed by the Devil's Cheerleaders on Clint's orders. When asked if he has any last words, Steven responds by calmly directing a stream of expletives at Clint.]]

* In ''WebVideo/AFK'', There is a scene near the finale where Steven [[spoiler: is about to be executed by the Devil's Cheerleaders on Clint's orders. When asked if he has any last words, Steven responds by calmly directing a stream of expletives at Clint]].

* In WebVideo/AFK, There is a scene near the finale where Steven [[spoiler: is about to be executed by the Devil's Cheerleaders on Clint's orders. When asked if he has any last words, Steven responds by calmly directing a stream of expletives at Clint]].

** Ancient Rylanor, from ''Literature/HorusHeresy'', was later featured in the short story "The Ancient Awaits", in which he had set up an emergency beacon broadcasting the titular message in the hope of luring his fallen Primarch to the ruined planet. Fulgrim responds, and after dealing a swift defeat to Rylanor, he rips the Dreadnought from out of his shell, offering to remake him and restore him to glory as a champion of Chaos. [[spoiler: His proud defiance leads the Thousand Sons contingent holding back the effects of the Virus Bomb Rylanor had detonated to drop the shield, sacrificing themselves to keep Rylanor from being forcibly turned]].

* When Tex makes her return after a two-year absence in ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', she immediately starts a huge fight sequence in which [[CurbStompBattle she completely curbstomps the combined Red and Blue teams,]] including Sarge and Tucker, two characters that fans had speculated might potentially be able to match her in terms of combat skill (turns out, neither are even close). Tucker comes out as the most competent in the fight, though, and no matter how much he gets his ass kicked he just keeps making lewd comments to Tex instead of screaming or panicking like the others.

[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* In ''Anime/AldnoahZero'', [[spoiler: Count Saazbuum taunts Slaine for failing to land a killing blow after he shoots and severely wounds Princess Asselyum, though he's on his way to bleeding out. Seconds later, Inaho, held at gunpoint by Slaine, smiles as he tries to draw a gun and is shot.]]
* MauveShirt Tsuge of ''Manga/AsTheGodsWill II'' gets one when she refuses to take part in Sein Kami's final Kamiculum game (Rock Paper Scissors), putting her hands behind her back the whole time and [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech telling him off]] as a divine entity. This is the first time ''any'' mortal in the second part has been so defiant to a god figure, and though Sein Kami kills her for it, she gets the last laugh as it temporarily wipes the smug out of him.
* ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'': While the majority of characters are anything but this when faced with a Titan the same can't be said for Eren who won't give up even when in a Titan's mouth about to be chomped.
** A RedShirt in the Survey Corps goes out stabbing a Titan in the face ranting about how Levi will kill it, which proceeds to happen moments later too.
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
** Ichigo Kurosaki continues to fight a hopeless battle against his nemesis Ulquiorra, refusing to ever put down his sword. Ulquiorra kills Ichigo to prove his point on humans; Ichigo gets better...[[CameBackWrong ish.]]
** Surprisingly, Loly does this too. When Yammy is about to kill her, Loly, knowing she's outclassed, says, "I said ''scumbag''."
** Even [[spoiler: [[BigBad Aizen]]]] gets in on this. While his final defeat had him [[VillainousBreakdown yelling and screaming]] ThisCannotBe, by the time he's about to be sentenced for his crimes, he just [[GracefulLoser smiles smugly]] and suggests the Central 46 have no moral authority to judge him at all. The Central 46 are so intimidated by his calm they increase his sentence... to 20 millennia. It doesn't cow him at all.
* Played with in ''Anime/CodeGeass'' when [[ActionGirl Kallen]] is in a Britannian prison, when the door to her cell is opened she goes into a [[GetItOverWith "Do your worst"]] speech, only to learn that the person she is facing is an old friend of hers.
* In the final battle of ''Anime/CyberpunkEdgerunners'', what remains of David's crew has just been on the receiving end of a CurbstompBattle, courtesy of [[WorldsStrongestMan Adam]] [[TheDreaded Smasher]]. After tearing off the antigravity generators of David's [[MiniMecha Cyber-Skeleton]], he offers to David the chance to become an Arasaka [[FullConversionCyborg construct.]] David's response?
->'''David:''' Whatever, [[FutureSlang choom.]] Like I give a shit.
* ''Franchise/DragonBall'':
** The non-canon ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' TV special ''A Solitary Final Battle ~The Father of Z-Warrior Kakarot, who Challenged Freeza~'' (Known as ''Bardock: The Father of Goku'' in English) features Bardock, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Goku's father who challenged Freeza]] in a futile attempt to change the fate of the Saiyans with him plowing through Frieza's forces and then trying to take on the tyrant and his planet-killing attack himself but ultimately fails and can only be comforted by a vision of his son defeating Frieza in the future. ''Anime/DragonBallSuperBroly'' canonized these events and even had Bardock's attack briefly stop Frieza's Supernova for a few seconds, even if he still failed in the end.
** In ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', when Zamasu is grabbed by Beerus and about to be disintegrated by him, he simply shoots a DeathGlare to the God Of Destruction. Considering that most other villains aware of what Beerus is capable of (such as Frieza) would have suffered any form of VillainousBreakdown by that point, that's quite an achievement.
** 18 pulled this ''twice'' against Semi-Perfect Cell. The first time she hit him with everything she got, actually ''moving'' the far stronger opponent and slowing him down long enough for Trunks to come to the rescue. The second time, blinded by the Tayoken that allowed Cell to escape Trunks and unable to sense ''ki'', 18 opts to attack Cell with her fists and is still trying to hit him ''after being sucked in by his tail'', only stopping after being completely absorbed.
* ''Manga/FairyTail'': [[spoiler: [[PlayingWithFire King of the Fire Dragons]] and [[TheHero Natsu's]] dad, Igneel]] gets his entire [[TorsoWithAView torso]] ripped away by [[spoiler: [[TheDreaded Black Dragon of the Apocalypse]] Acnologia]] in a SingleStrokeBattle before being finished off by his BreathWeapon. [[spoiler:Igneel]] makes sure his opponent never forgets about him by tearing off [[AnArmAndALeg his entire left arm]] in that very same exchange, also landing the first permanent injury that [[spoiler:[[NighInvulnerable Acnologia]]]] has ever received.
* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'': [[BigBad Raoh]] wants to find the identity of the last General of Nanto from an already mortally wounded Juuza. With his last breath, Juuza just jokes him.
* AntiVillain example: Greed in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' is given the choice to either rejoin "[[BigBad Father]]" or be ''boiled alive in molten gold'' for ironic purposes. Badass to the end, he opts for the latter and spends his final moments laughing at and taunting Father and the other homunculi.
** At the very end when Father forces a rejoining, he purposefully inverts his ultimate shield to weaken Father. [[OffingTheOffspring Father doesn't take to this well.]]
*** Greed isn't much more reverent in [[Anime/FullmetalAlchemist the 2003 anime version]]: When [[spoiler:Dante]] tries to [[spoiler:[[SealedEvilInACan re-seal him]]]] he instead opts to commit [[spoiler:SuicideByCop by forcing Ed to kill him]] rather than go back into [[spoiler:stasis]] (giving Ed the necessary info on how to [[spoiler:fight Homonculi]] in the process).
* A variant happens in ''Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic The Second Raid'' between Sousuke and [[spoiler:Gauron]]. It's not a surprise that even though Sousuke is the one holding the gun, he's ''not'' the one who gets the last laugh.
** Another example occurs in the ''Burning One Man Force'' novel, where [[spoiler:a heavily wounded]] Sousuke holds [[spoiler:an even ''more'' heavily wounded]] Kurama (ironically, an old associate of Gauron) at gunpoint, asking for vital information. Kurama is initially calmly defiant, [[spoiler:then abruptly changes his mind, decides he doesn't care, and offers what little he knows to Sousuke.]]
*** Sousuke himself is pretty defiant when cornered, especially in the later novels, when he tends to be almost crushingly outgunned and outnumbered, and almost everyone tries to kill him [[spoiler:including his father-figure and his girlfriend]]. He reaches his high-point during his speech towards Amalgam, broadcasted on an open channel during the final, semi-suicidal attack [[spoiler:on Merida island]].
* John from ''Anime/GingaDensetsuWeed'' keeps fighting Hougen even though he's outnumbered and [[CurbStompBattle nearly beaten to a pulp by Hougen's soldiers]]. Before Hougen [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beats the crap out of him more]], John says that he and the other soldiers of Ohu would never bow down to him.
** Even Jerome's packmates were willing to be torn up by Kaibutsu to keep Ohu safe. They clung onto the arteries in a wound on his flank and keep daring him to tear them off of him.
* Jan Valentine in ''Manga/{{Hellsing}}''. While most other villains in the manga series go out like bitches, he goes out like a psychotic ''badass'': flipping Integra Hellsing the bird, and calling her a bitch, all while he's bleeding and burning to death.
* In ''Webcomic/HetaliaAxisPowers'', Germany fits this trope whenever he's captured and anticipating torture at the hands of the Allies. Italy...[[LovableCoward doesn't]].
* ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'': [[spoiler:Rika Furude, a normally perky little girl has been tasered and poisoned (with a syringe she'd brought herself, no less) by the local AxCrazy {{Yandere}}, Shion Sonozaki. Then, Shion proceeds to add insult to injury by listing the various ways she intends to torture Rika - when Rika suddenly grabs a huge knife and states (in perfect adult Japanese) that she will not be staying for said torture. Shion sneers and dares her to act, but instead of attempting an escape, Rika steadies the knife against the wall, and [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled headbutts it sideways several times]] while Shion [[LaughingMad laughs hysterically]].]]
** [[spoiler:Rena also faces her certain demise this way later in the series, going as far as taunting her killer's plans, beliefs, and aspiration to become a god - said killer puts a bullet in her very fast, suggesting that she really struck a nerve.]]
** [[spoiler:In the visual novel, instead of simply begging Takano to spare Satoko like she did in the anime, Shion taunts her to the point that Takano decides to kill Shion first. Rika points out that Shion deliberately acted this way for the sake of driving her attention away from Satoko and making her live longer, as Takano was initially going to kill the latter first or worse, send her to a lab for her unique brain to be horrifically experimented upon while conscious like it happened with Rika's mother]].
* In ''Manga/HunterXHunter'', [[spoiler:Kurapika, having incapacitated Uvogin and disabled his strengthening aura, repeatedly interrogates Uvogin to tell him the locations and identities of the other Phantom Troupe members. Uvogin steadfastly refuses,]] replying to every demand with "Just kill me now." As a last resort, [[spoiler:Kurapika places a curse on Uvogin that will pierce his heart, killing him, if he does not answer truthfully. True to this trope, Uvogin ''still'' refuses to confess and dies on the spot.]]
* During ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable'', Rohan, at the verge of being killed by Highway Star and being coerced to betray Josuke (who Rohan [[TeethClenchedTeamwork detests]]) if he wants to live, delivers his famous badass one-liner instead:
--> '''Rohan''': [[https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QQ80PbfYwtU/maxresdefault.jpg I refuse]]. One of my absolute favorite things to do is to say '''no''' to whoever thinks they are hot shit.
* Garma and Dozle Zabi in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundam''. Garma attempts to crash his ship into the ''White Base'' while shouting "All glory to the nation of Zeon"; Dozle actually climbs out of the ruined Big Zam and fires a machinegun at Amuro and the Gundam until the Big Zam explodes, killing him.
* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamUnicorn'', Gael Chan faces down Full Frontal and the Neo Zeong in the Silver Bullet (a Doven Wolf from ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamZZ'' given a new paint job and a Gundam head) to give Banagher Links time to get to the Unicorn Gundam. Despite the power discrepancies, Gael refuses to back down and surrender even as Frontal makes short work of the Silver Bullet.
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'': In this second panel, a dying Kakuzu just ''has'' to lampshade Darui's CaptainObvious statement.
* ''Manga/OnePiece'':
** In his DyingMomentOfAwesome, [[CampGay Mr. 2]]'s final words to the Warden Magellan? "Satisfaction". [[spoiler: Even more awesome? He actually ''won'' that fight and is shown to be alive [[TimeSkip two years later]].]]
** [[spoiler:Trafalgar Law, in typical D fashion, laughs in the face of death. Doflamingo is about to shoot him to death but instead offers him the chance to die via the Op-Op Fruit's DangerousForbiddenTechnique that grants immortality, in exchange for a wish. Law still has it in him to troll him one last time by seemingly agreeing, only to demand that Doflamingo bring Corazon back to life and ''lick the asshole of every single citizen in Dressrosa''. Then he taunts him with how he'll never get Caesar back ''or'' beat the Straw Hats, before [[FlippingTheBird giving him the finger]] as one final "screw you" to his ArchEnemy]].
** And of course, there was [[spoiler:Whitebeard's final screw you to the World Government, shouting that "One Piece ''does'' exist!" ensuring them far more of the headaches they'd had since Gold Roger's death years before.]]
** During the Wano Arc, [[spoiler: after being beaten bloody by Tobi Roppo member [[HairTriggerTemper Ulti]], Ulti demands that Nami admit Luffy will never become Pirate King. Even knowing that she's only one of Ulti's [[HeadbuttingPachy headbutts]] away from death, Nami refuses and declares through tears that Luffy will definitely become Pirate King.]]
* In ''Manga/{{Saiyuki}}'', Sanzou is caught by a scorpion lady and is paralyzed by some sort of spell. Just barely able to talk, he manages to insult the woman enough that she starts beating him up... only for him to turn it around when it turns out the beating dispelled the magic and freed him.
* ''Anime/SamuraiChamploo'' starts on a very interesting note: Mugen and Jin on the verge of being executed. When the local lord asks if they want to beg, Mugen invokes the trope by saying he'd prefer the blade to bowing down to him. Jin achieves it in fewer words by saying, "I agree with him." Most of the first episode details HowWeGotHere and then goes on to reveal they fight their way free instead.
* Date Masamune does this in the ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'' anime when Nobunaga is about to [[EyeScream poke out his remaining eye]].
* ''Manga/TheSeveringCrimeEdge'': While she is saved, Iwai demonstrates this to one of the many villains targeting her, not only enduring the physical and psychological torture her enemy subjects her to but looking her in the eye after all the torments with a look full of defiance, a look more hateful and insulting than any taunt to her domination-obsessed captor. She demonstrates rather well that even an eternal DamselInDistress can have real steel in her.
* [[DamselInDistress Nia]] in the last episode of ''Anime/TengenToppaGurrenLagann'' responds to the Anti-Spiral's [[BreakThemByTalking breaking speech]] with a taunt of her own: "No matter how deeply you probe my body, you will NEVER understand! He will come. Definitely..."
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Pictured above: ''ComicBook/BlueBeetle''. Ted Kord's last words? "Rot in hell, Max." He's referring to Maxwell Lord, the man who shot him.
* In the Creator/FrankMiller comic ''ComicBook/TheDarkKnightStrikesAgain'', Batman is captured by Lex Luthor and then proceeds to issue several insults to Luthor even though he's helpless. This is part of [[spoiler:Batman's plan.]]
* In ''[[ComicBook/DCRebirth DC Universe: Rebirth]] #1'', Pandora, the face of ComicBook/TheNew52, spends her last moments screaming defiantly at [[spoiler:Dr. Manhattan]], proclaiming that the heroes of the universe will find the hope and strength to overcome and be the heroes they once were and that he was nothing more than a cruel and lonely monster before being blasted.
* One of the contests between Scrooge [=McDuck=] and archrival Flintheart Glomgold ended with Flintheart losing the bet between them. But the bet was that if Flintheart lost he would have to eat Scrooge's hat, and at that point, Scrooge's hat had been shrunk to toy size -- "one small mouthful" as Flintheart smirks.
** Flintheart wasn't so lucky when they made a similar wager in ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales1987''. He had to eat his own hat, and it was full size. Scrooge told him, [[DeadpanSnarker "Do you want it with or without mustard?"]] before he complied.
* In ''Comicbook/{{Empowered}}'' when Ninjette is captured and about to have her arms and legs cut off: "Fuck You." Emp and Thugboy pull off a BigDamnHeroes moment at the last second.
* The ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'' tie-in one-shot ''[[TitleRequiem Requiem]]'' reveals the ComicBook/MartianManhunter didn't go to his ComicBookDeath when he was stabbed in the back by Libra's flaming spear but reveals that J'onn put up a fight in his escape attempt. Even after it failed, when he knew he'd die, he told Libra, "[[SuperVillain Your kind]] will fail. Your kind will always fail."
* In ''ComicBook/GothamCityGarage'', James Gordon has been apprehended by ComicBook/LexLuthor's enforcers and it's clear he's going to be killed off right after being interrogated in relation to [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl}} his]] [[ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} daughters]]:
-->'''The Bat:''' How did you do it?\\
'''James Gordon:''' Ask your boss. He's the one who put source code in everyone's brains.\\
'''The Bat:''' You're saying you created her memories.\\
'''James Gordon:''' I'm saying '''go to Hell''', Bruce. That's what I'm saying.
* ''ComicBook/TheInfinityGauntlet'': Thanos has just massacred almost all of the remaining heroes of Earth. The only one left standing is Captain America. It's clear that he doesn't stand a chance and Thanos will kill him in seconds. What's the last thing Steve lets out before the inevitable happens?
--> As long as one man stands against you, Thanos, you'll '''never''' be able to claim victory.
* In ComicBook/InjusticeGodsAmongUs, at one point it looks like Superman (who has gone insane and become evil in this alternate universe) is going to capture Batman. He fractures his spine similar to Bane and is vehemently questioning Batman as he lies on the floor while Superman applies pressure in an effort to get him to talk. Even while in great pain and seemingly on the cusp of defeat, Batman still refuses to tell Superman anything. Granted, he was likely just HoldingTheFloor to give the bat-computer enough time to finish scanning something that would turn the tide against Superman, but he had no way of knowing for certain (or at all) that someone would come to rescue him as soon as it was finished. Considering Batman is well known for being TheDeterminator, this is hardly surprising.
* ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'': Batman's [[FacingTheBulletsOneLiner last words]] to {{ComicBook/Darkseid}} in a BadFuture where anti-life has won and he rules the world:
-->"You always say you're surrounded by these 'worthless maggots'. Well, that's because you won, and did exactly what you said you'd do. You've recreated the whole world in your image; and what we see in it is your own [[KilledMidSentence ugly fa--]]."
* From ''ComicBook/{{Knightfall}}'':
-->'''Bane:''' ''(about to break the Bat)'' Beg for mercy! SCREAM MY NAME!!!\\
'''Batman:''' G-go... to hell...
* In ''ComicBook/MarvelZombies'', [[spoiler: Magneto]] goes down yelling and [[RegretEatingMe telling the zombies to choke on him.]]
* An astonishing case of Defiant ''Past'' The End, in the ''Saint of Killers'' miniseries companion to ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}''. The titular Saint is so full of hatred that when his soul arrives in Hell, ''Hell freezes solid.'' {{Satan}} himself is unable to drive the hate from him, and only the Angel of Death agreeing to give the Saint his power in exchange for the Saint leaving Hell allows things to thaw. Bonus points for the fact that [[spoiler:the Saint immediately proceeds to kill Satan, almost as an afterthought,]] before leaving for Earth.
* Two examples in ''ComicBook/RedSonja'':
** Plaitius the stargazer's observations led him to a Copernican model of the solar system in defiance of religious teachings. Imprisoned and tortured, he refused to recant his theories even to save his own life.
** Later Sonja meets Death in her fever dream, who offers her a job as an immortal enforcer in thanks for all the people Sonja has killed. Sonja rejects the offer and defies Death's control over her, mostly just because she can.
* In ''ComicBook/SecretInvasion'', John the Skrull's comrades acknowledge that this was the only proper way for him to go.
-->'''Captain Britain:''' Oh, no, John. How?\\
'''Pete Wisdom:''' Mocking them.\\
'''Captain Britain:''' ''Good.''
* In Creator/FrankMiller's ''ComicBook/SinCity'' when [[spoiler: Marv]] is being executed via the Chair. After surviving the first jolt, he defiantly says to his executioners, "Is that the best you can do, you pansies?" The switch is thrown again and he is soon pronounced dead.
** And this was ''after'' interrupting the priest reading him his last rites with "[[BringIt Could you get a move on?]] [[DeadpanSnarker I don't have all day!]]"
* In a ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' short comic, Jobin Mothma, son of the famous Rebel Alliance leader Mon Mothma, is stationed on Hoth when the Imperials hit them. After doing his duty to the best of his ability, he falls back to the hangars with his few surviving men, only to run straight into Vader as the ''Falcon'' blasts away. While running to another hangar, Jobin is shot in the back. He orders his men to take off without him and proceeds to fire his blaster empty at Vader.
-->'''Vader:''' Tell me where the rendezvous is, and I may perhaps be merciful.\\
'''Jobin:''' Save your mercy for someone else. *spits blood in his face*
* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'':
** In one instance, Lex Luthor is kidnapped by ComicBook/TheJoker and tortured for the location of some of the Joker's meaner gadgets. Luthor's response? Tease the Joker about his [[VillainousCrush obsession with Bats]].
** ''ComicBook/TheBlackRing'': After he's badly mangled in the previous issue, Lex spends ''Action Comics #894'' with Death of the Endless (DC's [[DontFearTheReaper cheery, sweet]] [[TheGrimReaper Grim Reaper]]). As he tries several ploys to get her to revive him, she gently reminds him that death just isn't negotiable. With his options exhausted, he tells her to fuck off because one way or another, he will "find a way to beat [death]".
** In ''ComicBook/RedDaughterOfKrypton'', parasitic abomination Worldkiller-1 is going to absorb and take over ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s body. Kara's words as he moves to do so?
--->'''Supergirl:''' I hopes it chokes on my poisoned--
** In ''ComicBook/ManyHappyReturns'', Xenon is about to slay the latest ComicBook/{{Supergirl}} he has captured. Before being burned down to ashes, the girl glares at him and tells him where he can go:
--->'''Supergirl:''' You...\\
'''Xenon:''' Ah. It desires to be defiant.\\
'''Supergirl:''' You... can just go... straight to Hell.\\
'''Xenon:''' Oh, as if I haven't heard '''that''' before.
** In ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', ComicBook/SuperboyPrime is about to kill ComicBook/{{Superboy}} (Conner Kent).
--->'''Superboy-Prime:''' Your world is finished. I'll be the r-r-real Superboy again. I will! M-M-ME!\\
'''Superboy:''' Screw you, "Superboy".
* ''ComicBook/TheTransformersMarvel'': In the UK version, the entire universe decides that the time-travelling Galvatron and his minions need to go back to where they came from and creates a vortex. Galvatron ends up just yelling at the vortex, trying to defy it even as he's ripped to shreds.
* ''ComicBook/UltimateMarvel'':
** ''ComicBook/{{Ultimatum}}'': Wolverine had been reduced to a pulp by Magneto, but he was not dead yet. He has just a skeleton and some pieces of meat, and yet he was still alive and managed to land his claw on Magneto, giving him a serious injury.
** ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'':
*** Hawkeye captured Black Widow and had her at his mercy. Rather than ask for mercy, she goaded him about the loss of his family, that she killed.
*** The Wasp may be trapped and with nowhere to run, but she won't yield to Kleiser without a fight.
* After receiving a CurbStompBattle from Lady Shiva, as she was paralyzed and Shiva was going for a killing blow to her throat, Cassandra Cain attempted to spit in her face. This act of defiance [[WorthyOpponent is implied to be why Shiva only knocks her out instead of killing her.]]
* In ''ComicBook/UsagiYojimbo'', Usagi had a situation where he was fighting a villain who had stolen his swords, a despicable insult to a samurai, and found himself disarmed and wounded against the villain. The villain suggests he may be merciful if Usagi got on his knees and begged. To that, Usagi stood upright in perfect defiant dignity saying, "Whatever fate I have, I will face it on my feet." Fortunately, he soon got the advantage to win the day.
* In ''ComicBook/VForVendetta'', Evey is imprisoned and tortured but is also inspired by Valerie's story and her lesson about the value of personal integrity, to choose to die behind the chemical sheds than bow to tyranny. At that stand on principle, Evey learns she is truly free as she discovers that the whole experience was [[spoiler:V's effort to give her that kind of indomitable strength of character to continue his fight]].
* ''ComicBook/XFactor2006'': Issue #211 has Jamie, Guido, Theresa, Darwin, Longshot, and Shatterstar staring down an army of undead Vikings and refusing to back down. [[spoiler: Fortunately for them, [[ComicBook/TheMightyThor Thor]] comes to their rescue]].

[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': Apparently, [[spoiler:Thor's son]] who was killed by Ghidorah in ancient times remained kept standing and fighting throughout his RasputinianDeath. During the FinalBattle, there's one successful and heroic case of this trope involving TakingYouWithMe, and an ''attempt'' at this by a villain which ends in a VillainousBreakdown due to some BreakThemByTalking.
* ''Fanfic/AenrhienVailiuri'': A villainous example from Third Maje Tillih of the Kazon-Tarrik while Morgan is {{Neck Lift}}ing him:
-->'''Tillih:''' Die ... in a fire. ''[Morgan [[NeckSnap breaks his neck.]]]''
* In ''Fanfic/AmazingFantasy'', [[spoiler:Sir Nighteye]] spends his final moments mocking Mysterio [[spoiler:with his knowledge of his future defeat, as well as the crippled, cancer-ridden body he's tried so hard to hide.]]
* In ''Fanfic/AndersonQuestKillingVampiresAndWerewolvesAndLeprechuans'', even after Anderson proves himself too much for the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst, the latter still keeps trying to fight on despite his many injuries.
* ''Fanfic/ChasingDragons'':
** Oberyn Martell reportedly plays this straight at his execution following the failure of his rebellion.
** Brus Buckler is taken prisoner by the Dothraki when they overrun Campora and offered the chance to live if he orders the remaining defenders to surrender. He refuses, insulting Khal Pobo to his face until the latter kills him in a rage.
** With Balon Greyjoy about to execute him for daring to deliver Stannis' surrender terms (and inspiring Urrigon to [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere flee the islands]] with Asha), Rodrik Harlaw refuses to show fear. Instead, he [[DeadpanSnarker snarks]] his way through the whole production, calls out Balon for the stupidity of his actions, and finally tells him to just GetItOverWith.
** Salladhor Saan at the Battle of Bloodstone. He realizes that his side can't win, but also that he'll be [[YouHaveFailedMe executed for failure]] if he retreats, so he decides to go down fighting, leading a boarding party that ends with him being killed by in a duel by Ivar Drumm.
* ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'':
** In Chapter 44, both [[spoiler: Sif and Harry Dresden]] pull this on Gravemoss. The former spits in his face after having her heart ripped out and the latter gives him a shit-eating grin and a PreAsskickingOneLiner before his attempt at TakingYouWithMe -- while it doesn't succeed, it is truly epic. [[BackFromTheDead Both get better]], however.
** In Chapter 60, a teenage, powerless Carol Danvers, is exhausted, beaten to hell, barely conscious and half-frozen to death after a brutal fight with everything from supercharged werewolves to Slender Men and a killer robot based on the Destroyer and piloted by Baron Zemo, faces down a supercharged werewolf, picks up a rock and tells it to bring it on. When it pounces on her, she gives it the famous line from ''Film/DogSoldiers'': "I hope I give you the shits." [[spoiler: She survives, because of the FriendToAllChildren tendencies of the Winter Soldier, who breaks his brainwashing, executes a HeelFaceTurn and hands out a brutal [[CurbstompBattle shitstomping]] to the werewolf -- which is, it should be noted, the size of a 4x4, or thereabouts -- with his bare hands]].
** In Chapter 12 of the sequel ''Ghosts of the Past'', Russian President Volodya tries to shut down the [[SovietSuperScience Red Room]] and arrest General Lukin, after the latter pisses off Asgard by [[spoiler: kidnapping and brainwashing Harry]]. But with the power of [[LivingWeapon Red Son]], Lukin wipes out Volodya's forces and prepares to execute him personally. Rather than beg, however, Volodya [[FacingTheBulletsOneLiner instead]] tells Lukin how his [[TooDumbToLive moronic nearsightedness]] is going to destroy Russia, and he's going to enjoy watching Lukin's downfall from Heaven.
* In the GrandFinale of ''WebVideo/DeathNoteTheAbridgedSeriesKpts4tv'', [[spoiler: upon learning of the Shinigami's plot to bring about hell on earth [[VillainsDyingGrace Light Yagami's final acts]] are to try and stop [[TheLegionsOfHell the Shinigami Invasion.]]]]
* ''WebVideo/HellsingUltimateAbridged'':
** It is revealed in a flashback that this was how Alucard acted when he was defeated by Abraham Van Hellsing. When Abraham lists off his many, ''many'' atrocities, Alucard responds [[spoiler:"TheAristocrats"]].
** Jan does this too--he goes out FlippingTheBird at everyone before vaporizing.
* ''WebVideo/DragonballZAbridged'':
** Played with in Season 3. Tienshinhan keeps snarking at Vegeta. When asked why he does that when he knows Vegeta can kill him, he responds, "At this point, it's a game. If he gives in, I win. And he knows that."
** He later gets a more traditional example after pummeling Cell with his [[CastFromHitPoints Shin Kikoho]] technique until he can't even stand.
--->'''Cell:''' You know, if you want my personal opinion, 'Kikoho' is a pretty poor choice of last words. But then again, it's ''far'' from the worst decision you've made today.\\
'''Tien:''' Kiko-fuck yourself.\\
'''Cell:''' There, see? That's the spirit!
* In Episode 9 of ''WebVideo/SwordArtOnlineAbridged'', Kirito realizes that Kuradeel is a Laughing Coffin fanboy who is killing him over ruining the aforementioned player-killer guild; he then starts mocking Kuradeel with the explicitly stated intent of making sure Kuradeel doesn't enjoy killing him. [[BigDamnHeroes Then Asuna shows up.]]
* In ''Fanfic/{{Emergence|RWBY}}'', Yang Xiao Long wakes up in the middle of the Syrian war zone. She grabs an ISIS terrorist and demands to know where she is and what is going on. The man refuses to stop cursing her and calling her a whore, even when she breaks his ribs.
* ''Fanfic/FalloutEquestriaProjectHorizons'':
-->'''[[spoiler:Сognitum as reborn Princess Luna]]:''' Will you deny me now?!\\
'''Blackjack:''' Of course not. There's no denying that you're a royal cunt.
* In the ''Literature/TheTomorrowSeries'' fanfic "Game as Ned Kelly," Ellie Linton is ShotAtDawn, and goes out unrepentant, unblindfolded, and defiant to the end.
* ''Fanfic/TheGodEmpressOfPonykind'': With [[BigBad Nightmare Moon's]] Legions swarming over Manehattan, Dawn Sparkle is offered a chance to join the Traitors and spare the city. She responds by spitting in Nightmare Moon's face and dueling the MadGod in single combat. [[spoiler: [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome The scene cuts to the next day]], where we learn that she lost and Nightmare Moon left Dawn Sparkle alive long enough [[ForcedToWatch to watch as Manehattan is razed and its citizens slaughtered]].]]
* The same thing happens in the ''Manga/BattleRoyale'' fic "Heads is Heads," only to Mitsuko Souma. Her last words are a shout of defiance.
* ''Fanfic/TheHeartTrilogy'': In ''Heart of Fire'', the mortally wounded [[spoiler:Tauriel]] continues to defy Smaug while being held in the dragon's grasp, up until [[spoiler:he [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice pierces the elf's body]] with his talon]].
-->[[spoiler:'''Tauriel''']]: ''Lle naa haran e' nausalle.''[[note]]"You are king in your imagination." in Elvish.[[/note]]
* ''Fanfic/{{Hivefled}}''; Laneen, Gamzee's SpiritAdvisor [[spoiler:and half-sister]] was captured by the Condesce, raped, tortured, and [[spoiler:forced into sex acts with her equally non-consenting father]]. She managed to render herself useless and provoke Condesce into killing her by [[{{Squick}} clawing her own tongue out]].
* In ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/109581/1/i-did-not-want-to-die/i-did-not-want-to-die I Did Not Want To Die]]'', the protagonist is shot at the beginning and spends the rest of the story making his LastStand against Federal troops as he gradually bleeds to death. Not once does he surrender, plead, or try to run away.
* In ''Fanfic/ImaginarySeas'', Caenis refuses to surrender or beg for her life and instead keeps cursing Percy after he thoroughly trounces her in a fight. Granted, it doesn't come to that since Wodime shows up for the save.
* ''Fanfic/NeonGenesisEvangelionGenocide'':
** As [[spoiler:[[SmugSnake Kluge]] prepares to shoot her, Ritsuko]] tells him that even if she is to die here, she has made sure that [[spoiler:Unit 01 and 02 will be able to fight back against the JSSDF invasion]], and her last words are just calmly saying "[[ProfaneLastWords Fuck you]]".
** A villainous version with [[spoiler:[[AIIsACrapshoot the Emerald Tablet]]. It refuses to be afraid as Unit-01 and Shinji is about to finally finish it off, and even gloats that with its slaying of Unit-02 and Asuka, it has ensured that Shinji will not gain any solace from this victory.]]
--->[[spoiler:'''The Emerald Tablet:''']] Do you expect me to be afraid? [[spoiler:Shinji Ikari]]. There are worse things to be afraid of. Because even if you win, you will still be human. You wish so desperately to live that you would sacrifice transcendence beyond all bounds. I have ruined the one you love. Live with that.
* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'':
** Should any named character be under the mercy of [[ArmyOfThievesAndWhores the Black Dogs]] and their associates, they will make it absolutely clear that: one, those people won't prevail; two, those people will die horribly either by someone's or their own hand; and three, they are never going to give those people the satisfaction of doing whatever as they please. Hardly surprising, considering their [[RapePillageAndBurn vile]] deeds.
** Few supporters of the Black Dogs, as opposed to the majority of them who [[VillainsWantMercy break]], remain defiant towards Kyril during their interrogation.
*** Chapter 8: Kyril approaches a mortally wounded {{mook}}, who [[YouMonster calls him a monster]]. The Hunter wants to find Beasley's whereabouts, but he refuses to tell him anything. The {{mook}} continues cursing Kyril until his final moments, even when [[spoiler:his face is being squeezed by Kyril's tendrils]].
*** Chapter 25: A captive clergyman curses Kyril, Celestine, and Olga right before getting shot in the face. His two compatriots begin begging and blubbering, for being "defiant" won't mean anything upon death.
---->'''Unnamed captive:''' Demon filth. You've ruined everything our city and country stand for! You, the False Goddess and that Dark Elf harlot can all rot in hell!\\
''*[[BoomHeadshot BLAM]]*''
** Soren, as he faces against Mandeville and his five guards, all battered up with a broken arm. Outmatched, he prepares himself to go down swinging, after telling him and [[YourMom his mother to go screw themselves]]. Fortunately, he lasts long enough for Hugh to pull a BigDamnHeroes.
** {{Subverted}} for Sir John Mandeville, when he's locked up in the dungeons after his defeat. At first, he seems defiant as ever even when Kyril is giving him a BreakingSpeech about his failures (i.e. how his house is being investigated for its crimes, together with how Chloe[[spoiler:, his own daughter that he [[AbusiveParents tormented]],]] [[DeathByIrony would be the one to determine his fate]]). Until Kyril bluntly states that all the fortunes of House Mandeville will be utilised for the reconstruction in the Western District of Ken, with the house itself disassembled along the way. Cue VillainousBreakdown.
* ''Fanfic/OfState'': [[spoiler: Dalibor Bludvist, Drago's son]], has been beaten to a bloody pulp, had his home ransacked and burned down by Viking invaders, watched said Vikings take over his home city, and currently is on the executioner's block while having Snotlout reveal all of his father's crimes to the entire city. He responds by attempting to give the Uttlanders a RousingSpeech against the Vikings.
* In the ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'', during the FinalBattle between Shining Armor and [[GeneralRipper General-Admiral Makarov]] (the BigBad of his arc), Makarov wants the captive Shining to say "I surrender, Solomon". What Shining says is, "[[PrecisionFStrike Go fuck yourself]]". [[spoiler: He then proceeds to push himself past his limits and fight [[HumanoidAbomination Makarov]] in an even match.]]
* [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos In the Slender Man fic]] ''Fanfic/ByTheFiresLight'', even as the world falls apart around them, Detective Carl Rourke and Mira Grolinsky refuse to give in to the Slender Man.
* ''Fanfic/ThisBites'':
** Even [[spoiler:after enduring countless shocks and staring down Eneru's 100,000,000 Volt Vari]], Cross does not back down, and his last effort is to spit in his face.
** Bartolomeo and his crew intend to make [[spoiler:Boa Hancock]] remember them for the rest of her life when they see [[spoiler:her]] ship heading straight for them.
* During the climax of ''Fanfic/TheUltimateEvil'' (an AlternateUniverseFic of the first two seasons of ''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures''), [[spoiler:Shendu (who is [[PhysicalGod empowered to a terrifying extend]] thanks to being bound to Valerie Payne, [[YinYangBomb his Other]] and [[VillainousCrush love interest]]) overpowers the entire J-Team during the confrontation over the [[RewritingReality Book of Ages]]. He then catches Jade is his grip and [[WouldHurtAChild intends to kill her]] for coming close to snatching away the victory he gained by tampering with the Book. As Shendu squeezes her and there seems to be no way out, Jade still has it in her to defy Shendu and call him out of using his rewrites to [[HypnotizeTheCaptive lure Valerie into his clutches]]. Fortunately Valerie, filled with suspicions, [[RightBehindMe arrives in time to hear Shendu and Jade's argument]], and Shendu directs his attention from Jade to Valerie]].
* Ginny in ''Fanfic/TheVerySecretDiary'' puts up one ''hell'' of a fight against Tom Riddle in the final chapters. Even when she's utterly powerless and she knows it, she continues to try and find opportunities to defy him, snark at him, and make things as difficult for him as possible, [[spoiler: [[SubvertedTrope until he reveals his TRUE identity]]. Then she starts weeping and begging for her mom]].

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Nine}}'', this is how [[spoiler:8]] goes. While being presented to the Fabrication machine, he manages to send it a DeathGlare and growl just before he gets soul-sucked.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'': When Esmerelda is sentenced to death and about to be burned at the stake, Frollo gives her one more chance to either have sex with him or die. Esmerelda's response? To [[SpitefulSpit spit in his face]] and shoot him a DeathGlare vicious enough to cow [[KubrickStare Stanley Kubrick]] into submission.
* Toward the end of ''WesternAnimation/{{Moana}}'', Maui stands up to Te Ka, the fire demon and BigBad of the film, in a desperate attempt to buy Moana enough time to restore the [[MineralMacguffin Heart of Te Fiti]] to its rightful place. Though he lands some solid attacks, Te Ka counters them all and eventually destroys his magical fishhook, the source of all of his power. Left with absolutely no chance of survival and facing certain death at the hands of a massive fireball, Maui stands up, shouts Te Ka's name, and launches into a warrior's ''haka'', or traditional chant used by Maori before going into battle, all while staring the demon directly in the eyes with a determined look on his face. [[spoiler: Luckily, Moana manages to save the day before Maui can be incinerated.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}'':
** The soldier in the opening sequence. He knows that he's going to die, but he fights as hard as he can to set off the Great Wall's torch-warning-system, and then stands up to the terrifying Shan Yu before his death. Thanks to him, Shan Yu fails. Without his warning, the Huns' entry into China would have gone unnoticed, and the Emperor would probably be dead because Mulan and company wouldn't have been around to save him. ''[[BadassBystander That guy is awesome]]'', and he doesn't even get a name, but he still sets off the alarm-torch. When was the last time a RedShirt was so awesome?
--> '''Soldier to Shan Yu''': Now all of China knows you're here.
** The Emperor himself, trapped on a balcony by Shan Yu, provides the page quote. [[spoiler:Thankfully, Mulan and company save him before Shan Yu can make him "kneel in pieces."]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/PeterPan'', Captain Hook kidnaps Tiger Lily and tries to force her to tell him Peter Pan's hideout by threatening to leave her to drown if she doesn't, and points out that if she does drown, she will be BarredFromTheAfterlife. Tiger Lily simply turns up her nose and refuses to speak. Luckily for her, Peter saves her just in time.
* ''WesternAnimation/QuestForCamelot'' has King Arthur about to be killed by his treacherous knight Ruber [[spoiler: with his own weapon excalibur]]. Ruber declares that it's time to say hello to his new king. Arthur's response?
--> "You're no king!"
* ''WesternAnimation/ShrekTheThird'': Shrek has been put into chains, dragged onto a stage, and is about to gutted by [[BigBad Prince Charming]]. How does he respond to Charming pointing a sword at him? He proceeds to mock him in front of everybody, that even Charming's minions found amusing. [[spoiler: Thankfully, Shrek survives thanks to Artie]].
* From ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'':
** The fatally injured Ironhide gives [[BigNo one]] to Megatron as he defiantly grabs at Megatron's leg. Unfortunately, Megatron derides "such heroic nonsense" before [[BoomHeadshot finishing him off.]]
** When Megatron has the badly-wounded Optimus at gunpoint and tells him it's over, Prime roars "[[BigNever Never!]]" as he launches one final strike that sends Megatron hurtling down several stories in a heap.
** When Hot Rod and Kup are about to be thrown into a pit of Sharkticons. Luckily, they survive long enough for backup to arrive.
--->'''Alpha Quintesson:''' Silence, or you will be held in contempt for this court!\\
'''Hot Rod:''' I have nothing BUT contempt for this court!"

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/{{The Alamo|2004}}'': With just himself and two other men left, captured and about to be killed by the Mexican army, Davy Crockett is asked if he has anything to say. He tells them that if the Mexicans surrender, he'll go easy on them. And then the order to kill him is given, and being about to be bayoneted to death, Davy's last words to Santa Anna are "I'm warning you--I'm a screamer."
* Hudson's demise in ''Film/{{Aliens}}'' consists of swearing, yelling, swearing, shooting anything that moves, [[OverlyLongGag swearing, shooting everything that doesn't move, and swearing some more]]. ''Even when being dragged through the floor to his death''.
* Downplayed in ''Film/{{Balibo}}''. [[spoiler:Roger]] [[AintTooProudToBeg begs for his life]] as the Indonesians prepare to execute him, but he also repeatedly insults them and calls them out for their cruelty as well.
* In ''Film/{{Bent}}'', [[spoiler: Horst]] gets killed by the guards. But he manages to scratch their face, horrifying them.
* In ''Film/{{Blooded}}'', Lucas regards his position as the public face of the hunting lobby as so important that he refuses to read a prepared statement condemning hunting and remains stubbornly silent despite being captured, humiliated, [[HuntingTheMostDangerousGame hunted like an animal]], and [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured]] by the [[AnimalWrongsGroup Real Animal League]]. He only cracks when [[spoiler:the RLA string Live up and threaten to [[GuttedLikeAFish gralloch her like a stag]]. And doing this shatters him completely.
* ''Film/{{Braveheart}}'' is, of course, the definitive example of the Nineties. William Wallace is so heartily defiant after he's been disembowelled alive, that the mere sound of his shouting is enough to push one of his foes over the edge of his deathbed. [[VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory (This is considered true in essentials, but painfully inaccurate in particulars.)]]
* In ''Film/ABridgeTooFar'' (Which was based on an actual WWII campaign), the Germans point out to the cut off and outnumbered Allied troops that many lives could be saved by a surrender. The Allied response? "I'm sorry, but we don't have enough room to take all of you prisoner!"
* ''Film/ChildrenOfMen'': [[ToiletHumour "Pull my finger!"]]
* [[spoiler:Luke]] in ''Film/CoolHandLuke'', complete with IronicEcho ("[[SignatureLine What we've got here is a failure to communicate]]").
* In ''Film/{{Creepshow}}'', Richard gets buried up to his neck at low tide. As the water slowly rises, he roars, "I can hold my breath for a long time!"
* ''Film/TheDarkCrystal'': When the Chamberlain reaches for the dying Skeksis Emperor's sceptre.
-->'''Emperor:''' '''''Mine!''''' ''Ehh-ehh!'' Mine! Not! I-I-I-I am ''still'' em... pe... ror.. I ... ''[dies, crumbles into dust]''
* Captain Rhodes in ''Film/DayOfTheDead1985''.
-->Choke on 'em!
* Deconstructed in ''Film/TheDevilsRejects''. As [[VillainProtagonist Otis]] is about to kill a man he has kidnapped, the man insults Otis... who mocks him for it, calling it a meaningless gesture that doesn't make him any less of a powerless victim. Otis then proceeds with the killing like it never happened.
-->'''Adam Banjo''': ''[spits blood on Otis]'' Fuck you!\\
'''Otis''': That's what they all say. ''[in a mocking tone]'' "Fuck you"! Well, it ain't gonna save you. It don't scare me none and it don't suddenly make you a fuckin' hero! Do you wanna see what happens to heroes, boy?
++Otis eats his own words later on in the film, when the trope is deconstructed but on him and his family. When he along with Baby and Captain Spaulding are captured by sheriff Wydell and taken to their now-destroyed house, they mock the sheriff and the people they've killed, including Wydell's brother. Of course, that does nothing except piss off Wydell, and he proceeds to gleefully torture them like they've done to countless people before. Even after they escape, they are cornered by the cops on a road, they decide to go all out against the police instead of surrender. Unsurprisingly, they are overpowered and taken easily by the police.
* ''Film/DieAnotherDay'': All Film/JamesBond has to say after [[DistressedDude months of brutal torture]] is an appropriately acerbic BondOneLiner. General Moon drops the trope name before apparently having Bond marched in front of a firing squad.
* In ''Film/DieHard'', the terrorist leader [[BigBad Hans Gruber]] threatens to kill Joe Takagi, head executive at the Nakatomi building, if he doesn't tell Hans the access codes to the Nakatomi vault. Not only does Mr. Takagi adamantly refuse, he outright goads Hans into killing him (although he sounds so calm that he [[LikeYouWouldReallyDoIt doesn't seem like he's expecting Hans to kill him]]):
-->'''Takagi:''' I don't know it, I'm telling you. Get on a jet to Tokyo and ask the Chairman. I'm telling you, you're just going to have to kill me.
* A villainous example in the ''Film/DirtyHarry'' film ''Film/SuddenImpact''. When Ray Parkins is finally confronted by Jennifer pointing a gun at her:
-->"So, the bitch is here. ''[Takes what she knows will be her last swallow of beer]'' So tell me, how's your slut sister?"
* ''Film/DogSoldiers'':
** [[spoiler:Joe]]. When he realizes a werewolf is lurking right behind him in the land rover, instead of trying to escape or freaking out, he (probably pissed beyond all reason by witnessing Terry's horrifically torturous death a minute earlier) leaps into the back at the thing screaming like a berserker.
--->"''I'm gonna fucking have you!''"
** [[spoiler:Spoon]]'s last words when he's outmatched and held to a wall by two werewolves:
--->"''I hope I give you the shits, you fucking wimp!''" ''[SpitefulSpit]''
* In ''Film/{{Equilibrium}}'', Partridge actually doesn't care when he's eventually exposed, going so far as to calmly quote a Yeats poem in front of Preston. He refuses to bend to Libria's will, even with Preston standing over him with a gun. Part of the reason for his defiance can be better demonstrated in the conversation below since his questioning with Preston clearly involved trying to get the latter to do the same himself and fight against society instead of with it. [[spoiler: We later discover he was part of the Resistance, enabling Preston to have his HeelFaceTurn, join them, and help take down the corrupt governing power.]].
-->'''Partridge:''' You always knew. … "But I being poor have only my dreams. I have spread my dreams under your feet. Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams." I assume you dream, Preston.\\
'''Preston:''' I'll do what I can to see they go easy on you.\\
'''Partridge:''' We both know they never go easy.\\
'''Preston:''' Then I'm sorry.\\
'''Partridge:''' No you're not. You don't even know the meaning. It's just a vestigial word for a feeling you've never felt. Don't you see Preston, it's gone, everything that makes us what we are traded away.\\
'''Preston:''' There's no war. No murder.\\
'''Partridge:''' What is it you think we do?\\
'''Preston:''' No. You've been with me, you've seen how it can be, the jealousy, the rage.\\
'''Partridge:''' A heavy cost. I pay it gladly.
* In ''Film/EscapeFromSobibor'', a girl named Naomi is offered a chance to live at the cost of her baby, which she was trying to hide. Her response is to spit in the Nazi's face (figuratively and literally).
* The Creator/BruceLee film ''Film/FistOfFury'' (also known as ''The Chinese Connection'' or ''The Iron Hand'') very famously ends with Bruce Lee's character, Chen, the villains defeated and his master avenged, agreeing to take all the blame for the deaths of the karate school, saving his friends. He walks outside to find a row of Japanese policemen with their rifles and pistols trained on him. Realizing he's going to be publicly executed, he lets out a final cry and performs a running jump kick at them, the final freeze-frame catching him in mid-air as a crescendo of rifle fire sounds. Though naturally, being [[MemeticBadass Bruce Lee]], it's entirely possible that instead of him dying for the ending, he instead horribly slaughtered all of the policemen and the whole scene was cut out for being just too violent for television...
* ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'':
** ''Film/RebirthOfMothra3'': [[Characters/GodzillaTheGhidorahs King Ghidorah]] refuses to flee from Mothra Leo after his wing is cut off, instead merely glaring at him in pure anger before resuming his fight and being destroyed.
** ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': King Ghidorah corners Madison Russell, roars, and prepares to fry her with his BreathWeapon. She roars back. Fortunately, Godzilla intervenes before she can be killed.
** ''Film/GodzillaVsKong'':
*** [[spoiler:[[Characters/MonsterVerseKingKong Kong]] suffers a non-fatal version]]. After being defeated, and found himself pinned by his opponent, the latter roars to assert his dominance, only for the former to roar right back at him. [[spoiler:Godzilla, as if impressed by that, spares him]].
*** Even as [[spoiler:Kong is hacking it apart limb-from-limb, [[Characters/MonsterVerseKingGhidorah Mechagodzilla]] still]] attempts to fight back and even tries to use his BreathWeapon in retaliation before [[spoiler:Kong ruptures its core. The influence from Ghidorah might be a driving factor behind this steadfast determination]].
* In ''Film/GoyoAngBatangHeneral'', we see the titular general as he's liquidating the last of the recently assassinated General Antonio Luna's friends and allies. Manuel Bernal, as he's being tortured and coerced, refuses to give in, preferring to insult Del Pilar, Aguinaldo, and all those that follow them. Even when they bring his brother in, Manuel just reminds him to remember what they fought for and to stay strong.
* In ''Film/HeneralLuna'', the titular general refuses to go down as he's being killed by soldiers of the Kawit Brigade, drawing his own sword and gun and decrying them for the traitors they are as they struggle to kill a man [[{{Determinator}} who just doesn't want to die]].
* In ''Film/TheHungerGames'' Katniss refuses to play by the rules of the [[GladiatorGames titular game]] ("They have to have their winner."), when she and her fellow gladiator [[spoiler: Peeta are the last two standing and]] are expected to try to kill each other. Instead, Katniss prefers [[spoiler: joint suicide. ("No! Why should they?") ]]
* In ''Film/TheHungerGamesCatchingFire'' Katniss was told that the lightning strike will be deadly. Nonetheless, she accepts to die and uses the force of the lighting [[spoiler: to strike back at the evil empire and destroy their weapon]].
* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheKingdomOfTheCrystalSkull''; he manages to escape, but when Irina Spalko is about to order her troops to kill Indy:
-->'''Spalko:''' Any last words, Mr. Jones?\\
'''Indy:''' Yeah. [[UsefulNotes/DwightEisenhower I Like Ike!]]
* ''Film/InglouriousBasterds'': Sergeant Werner Rachtman does this when he is captured by the Basterds and offered to be spared in exchange for information on another German patrol. He makes it '''very clear''' to Lt. Aldo Raine and his companions that he isn't about to put any German lives in danger.
* In ''Film/JohnWickChapter2'', TheDon Santino D'Antonio spends most of the film [[BullyingADragon bullying the titular dragon]] -- blowing up his house, forcibly recruiting him to kill one of his friends, and trying to have him assassinated once he does -- and then, once cornered at gunpoint in a TruceZone, makes taunting comments about the menu and dares John to walk away. [[BoomHeadshot John does not.]]
* ''Film/KillTheIrishman'': When Danny Greene realizes he's about to be blown up by the car bomb next to his Cadillac, he sees Ray Ferrito driving by with the detonator in one hand and tipping his hat in farewell with the other. [[FaceDeathWithDignity Accepting death]], Greene pointed his finger like a gun just as the bomb kills him.
* And, thanks to ''Series/TheWestWing'', many children of the 80s and 90s now know of a misquote from ''Film/TheLionInWinter''. Quoted properly here:
-->'''Prince Richard''': ''[In a dungeon, hearing his captor approach]'' He's here. He'll get no satisfaction out of me. He isn't going to see me beg.\\
'''Prince Geoffrey''': My you chivalric fool... as if the way one fell down mattered.\\
'''Prince Richard''': When the fall is all there is, it matters.
* In ''Film/{{Lockout}}'', Alex captures Emilie and threatens to sic his psychotic rapist brother onto her if she doesn't tell her father (the president of the USA) to call off an attack on the space-jail they are in. Defiant to the end, she tells her dad to blow the jail -- including her -- out of the sky.
* Colonel Hardy in ''Film/ManOfSteel'': He starts off in a helicopter, which Faora then knocks down. He empties two guns (ineffectually) into her as she casually slaughters his men. His response is to stare her down and draw his ''knife''. Even she's impressed. Superman manages to save him, but he does this again later when he really does die.
-->"[[IronicEcho A good death is its own reward.]]"
* Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse
** ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'':
*** This seems to be the set-up for the old German man who refuses to bow before Loki in Stuttgart. [[spoiler:However, Captain America swoops in to save the old man before Loki can kill him.]]
*** [[spoiler:Played straighter with Coulson's death.]]
---->'''[[spoiler:Coulson]]:''' So that's what it does.
** ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld:'' Frigga fights Malekith and Kurse and when defeated refuses to reveal [[spoiler:the location of the Aether]]. Her last words are "I will never tell you."
** ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar:''' Hanging from the ceiling by his feet with his head in a sink, the Hydra agent Baron Zemo captures in Cleveland is asked for "Mission Report: December 16, 1991". His only two sentences he responds with before Zemo drowns him in the sink? "Go to hell!" and "Hail Hydra."
** ''Film/ThorRagnarok'': Hela completely slaughters the assembled forces of Asgard, but promises to [[JoinOrDie let a wounded Hogun live if he agrees to serve her]]. Hogun rejects the offer and makes one final effort to attack Hela, only for her to [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice spear him through the chest]].
** Skurge the Executioner pulls one as a means of redemption. Protecting the ship that is trying to escape with Asgardian refugees, he throws himself into a horde of enemies while dual-wielding M-16's until they run out of ammo. When that happens? He starts bludgeoning the enemies with the empty guns, roaring defiance and issuing a direct challenge to Hela even as the ship - his only means of escape - takes off and leaves him behind to die.
** ''Film/BlackPanther2018'' has [[spoiler:Erik Killmonger. Fatally wounded by a blade in his body after losing a fight with T'Challa and knowing full well that he will go to prison for the rest of his life even if Wakanda's advanced medical technology healed him, he pulls the blade out and bleeds to death while watching the Wakandan sunset. In doing so he chooses a dignified death over a life of bondage, just like his ancestors who jumped from the European slave ships.]]
** ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'': [[spoiler:Loki's final words to Thanos while being strangled after attacking him are: "You will never be a god."]]
** ''Film/AvengersEndgame'': [[spoiler: Thor and Iron Man are down, and Cap is down to half his shield, and Mjolnir. Thanos, on the other hand, summons ''all'' of his army from the past ready to devastate Earth and the universe itself using the Infinity Gauntlet. Cap, much like his comic counterpart above, is undaunted and steels himself to face the entire army by himself, with just his shield and Mjolnir. Thankfully, TheCavalry arrives.]]
* In ''Film/MenInBlackII'', the pizza parlor owner [[spoiler: actually the alien protecting Laura, the Light of Zartha,]] begs Serleena to let him go protesting that he doesn't know anything. When he realizes she isn't fooled, he drops the act. Speaking with his true voice, he tells her that she's too late and sarcastically apologizes for wasting her time.
* ''Film/NoneShallEscape'' (a 1944 film about a trial against a Nazi officer following the end of the then-ongoing [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII second world war]], where the bulk of the story is told via flashbacks from the points of view of the witnesses at the trial): After all the Jews that were to be deported have been gunned down, the rabbi tells Wilhelm "We will never die. It will be you, all of you!" Wilhelm shoots him with his handgun at point-blank range.
* ''Film/OlympusHasFallen'' has the Secretary of Defense, on the hostage situation she and the President are in:
-->"We may die here, but no way will I let my tombstone say 'she went down without a fight.'"
** [[spoiler: Ironically, she's the only hostage other than the President to survive.]]
** Roma, the head of the Secret Service detail for the White House. Injured and down to his last bullet, he reports the situation to his superiors, and then spins around and shoots one more terrorist. "Fuck you!"
* ''Film/PacificRim'': When Striker Eureka is disabled by Leatherback, the two pilots stand on the shoulders of the Jaeger, one of them yelling at the circling {{Kaiju}} to bring it on while carrying a flare gun in each hand, with one of them shooting it in the eye while being fully aware it is kind of a ''bad'' idea. [[spoiler: The two Russian pilots]], earlier, also manage to keep landing punches on the Kaiju that's currently crushing the cockpit while holding it underwater for them to drown, right until the Jaeger blows up.
* ''Film/{{Payback}}''
** Rosie is a hooker who attracts the attention of Val the guy who betrayed her friend (who is turning increasingly into her LoveInterest) [[AntiHero Porter]]. Val is a vicious mobster whose only real value to his bosses is that he's a sadist skilled in torture. He's beating the crap out of her and imminent rape is implied. She keeps taunting him about the fact that he's hitting her only proves that he's a powerless, impotent weakling, just as she described him earlier.
** And then there's Porter himself. Late in the movie, TheSyndicate thugs catch him and begin torturing him with a hammer, taking out his toes one by one. What does Porter say after they smash his first toe and start lining up a second?
---> '''Porter:''' This little piggy stayed home. ''[Torturer slams the hammer down on second toe]''\\
'''[[BigBad Bronson]]:''' It's starting to look like roast beef.
* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'':
--> '''Davy Jones''': [[spoiler: James Norrington,]] [[CatchPhrase do you fear death?]]\\
'''[[spoiler: James Norrington]]''': ''(stabs him, and then dies)''\\
'''Davy Jones''': I'll take that as a no.
** There's also the group of pirates at the beginning of the film who sing ''Hoist The Colours'' even in light of being hung.
** And a minor example is an unknown soldier from the first movie who rings the bell to call Norrington back to the besieged ship. Injured as he was, the guy could have easily played dead, but he did the one thing that was most likely to help his comrades while being almost guaranteed to get himself killed.
** Though she doesn't end up dead, Syrena takes this attitude towards Blackbeard, refusing to give him the tear he needs for the Profane Ritual.
* In ''Film/PlunkettAndMacleane'', facing certain execution, [[spoiler: Macleane]]'s last words before being sentenced are directed at all attending.
-->[[spoiler:'''Macleane''']]: I am guilty of one thing for which I am heartily sorry. Namely cheating my friend and fellow highwayman. A man who has more nobility of soul in his little finger, than any of you bloated bastards have in your entire bodies.
* In ''Film/TheProfessional'', as [[spoiler: Leon]] lays dying:
-->'''Leon''': [[BigBad Stansfield]]?\\
'''Stansfield''': At your service.\\
[[spoiler: '''Leon''': (handing him something) This is from... Mathilda.]]\\
[[spoiler: '''Stansfield''': (sees that it's a pin for a grenade) Shit.]]
* Toward the end of ''Film/RaisingArizona'', the bounty hunter from Hell catches up with Hy. It's a serious mismatch as Hy gets the stuffing beaten out of him -- when the bounty hunter pulls him up, barely conscious, by the lapels, he defiantly spits ''a tooth'' out into the guy's face.
* In ''Film/RedDawn1984'', the Wolverines have been ambushed by helicopters and are scattering. [[DeathSeeker Robert]] fires his last RPG round at one of the copters, damaging it... and then stands out in the open, engaging an armored helicopter intended to take out armored columns with nothing but his AK. The result is foreordained, but there's ''no'' doubt about who's Badass there.
* PlayedForLaughs on ''Film/TheRussiansAreComingTheRussiansAreComing'' with [[BrattyHalfPint Pete Whitaker]], who keeps on being defiant and insulting to the Russians that have taken over his family's house (and his father who is helping them, to the point that Pete even calls him a [[LesCollaborateurs Commie collaborator]]) out of a ''seriously'' misplaced case of PatrioticFervor (the Russians are stuck on the island by accident and wish nothing more than to leave, and Mr. Whitaker is quite willing to help them because 1) the Russians are peaceful and understanding and 2) the Russians are armed, and so it's ''not'' a good idea to anger them, like Pete is trying to do...)
* [[MeaningfulName Boris the Bullet Dodger]] from ''Film/{{Snatch}}'', cursing at Tony even after being shot several times with a Desert Eagle. Tony finally decides to take his time to aim properly and puts in a point-blank headshot to make sure he doesn't get up again.
* At the end of ''Film/SchindlersList'' when Goth is being hanged, he remains completely calm, gives one last stoic "Heil Hitler", and lets the guards kick the chair out from under him without a fuss.
* ''Film/{{Speed}}'': In the opening sequence, MadBomber BigBad Howard Payne manages to take cop Harry Temple hostage and Harry tells him "[[PrecisionFStrike fuck you]]". This trope is then discussed because Payne laments that modern people can't seem to think of a better FacingTheBulletsOneLiner than ''that''.
-->'''Payne:''' In two hundred years, we've come from "[[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution I regret that I have but one life to give]] [[PatrioticFervor for my country]]" to "fuck you"?!
* From ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'', [[spoiler:both Khan and [[FaceDeathWithDignity Spock]]]] go out this way.
** [[spoiler:Khan especially. His last act is to activate the Genesis Device in one last attempt to kill Kirk while quoting Captain Ahab's last words from ''Literature/MobyDick''.]]
* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** In ''Film/ANewHope'':
--->'''Princess Leia:''' Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board.\\
'''Grand Moff Tarkin:''' Charming to the last. You don't know how hard I found it, signing the order to terminate your life.\\
'''Princess Leia:''' I'm surprised that you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself.
** In ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'':
--->'''[=C-3PO=]:''' But if any of you wish to beg for mercy, the great Jabba the Hutt will now listen to your pleas.\\
'''Han Solo:''' Threepio! You tell that slimy piece of worm-ridden filth, he'll get no such pleasure from us! ''[to Chewie]'' Right?\\
'''Chewie:''' ''[roars in concurrence with Han]''
*** The novelization adds a hilarious touch, by having the [[TemporaryBlindness mostly blind]] Solo look ''the wrong way'' and address his defiant speech to nowhere, so Chewie has to reach and turn him around to properly face the slimy piece of worm-ridden filth he was talking to.
*** With that, Luke tops his friends' defiance with this statement to Jabba, "This is your last chance; free us or die!" Jabba laughs at this impudence but instantly changes his tune as Luke puts his plan into action.
*** And later, in the Imperial throne room:
--->'''Luke:''' You've failed, your highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me.
* ''Film/SuperMarioBros'': Toad continues to rant at and badmouth Koopa as he's being shoved into the [[DevolutionDevice Devo Chamber]].
* In cinema classic ''Film/TheyLive'', Rowdy Wrestling/RoddyPiper's unnamed character makes it to the antenna broadcasting the alien mind-scrambling signal and just manages to start it blowing up when he's fatally shot. He raises his arm out of the fire and flips the aliens off, both as a gesture of defiance and as a declaration of victory (since even if he died, the aliens were about to be exposed).
* Jazz in the first live-action ''[[Film/TransformersFilmSeries Transformers]]'' movie.
-->'''Jazz''': You wanna piece of me? You want a piece?!\\
'''Megatron''': No! I want [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe TWO]]!
** Sam has one too, more afraid and less badass but still impressive.
--->'''Megatron''': Give me the All Spark, and you may live to be my pet.\\
'''Sam''': (While clinging to a statue at the edge of a building) I'm never giving you this All Spark!\\
'''Megatron''': Oh, so unwise.
* ''Film/TripleThreat2019'': The UsefulNotes/MI6 operative in the village refuses to cooperate with the mercenaries, and refuses to beg for his life when their leader Collins kills him.
* In ''Film/{{United 93}}'', once the passengers find out that hijacked planes have been flown into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, they abandon all semblance of cooperation with the al-Qaeda terrorists and start actively planning their attack from the plane's rear. Even as the plane is plummeting towards the ground, they continue to [[DyingMomentOfAwesome fight for the controls]] in an effort to both thwart the terrorists and possibly save themselves. Either way, the passengers were going to make for damned sure that that plane was not going to reach its final destination in Washington D.C. Also serves as a RealLife example since the film is a ''very'' accurate portrayal of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
* V at the end of ''Film/VForVendetta''. Mr. Creedy even describes him as, "Defiant to the end."
** Also, Evey. After being captured and tortured by the government, they give her a choice: give them information on V, or be taken behind the chemical sheds and shot. Her response is to calmly say “Thank you, but I'd rather die behind the chemical sheds”. [[spoiler: This is subverted though, it in that it turns out ''V'' was the one who kidnapped and tortured her, specifically to get her to the point that she would no longer fear death]].
* Norwegian war movie ''Film/WeLeaveForEngland'' from 1946 is built on this trope. The fugitives are herded up by Germans and arrested and are to be shot, and their defiance comes on stronger and stronger as the movie goes on - until the very end, where one Norwegian spokesperson is hit in the face without blinking before the lot of them are herded out to be shot. The end of the movie shows almost the entire cast vanishing behind a hill, followed by awesome music, while a Norwegian birch tree is standing over in the last shot of the movie (being an ArcSymbol for Norwegian independence). This ending could arguably have Defiant To The End written all over it (While the protagonists are executed, ''we carry on...'')
** Pick any Norwegian movie telling the story of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, made before 1960, and the trope comes through loud and clear. This particular movie has it in abundance.
* In ''Film/WhatBecomesOfTheBrokenHearted'', after being caught by the murderous biker leader.
--> '''Apeman''': Look at me.\\
'''Tania''': I wouldn't want your face to be the last thing I see.
* ''Film/XMenFilmSeries''
** ''Film/TheWolverine'': Shingen refuses to [[spoiler:take Wolverine's mercy and stabs him through the chest as one last act of defiance]].
** ''Film/XMenApocalypse'': Epically done by Professor X, who resists En Sabah Nur in ''any'' way he can even when the situation is absolutely hopeless and his options are virtually nil. Charles warps the ending of Apocalypse's NewEraSpeech to try to give the weaker individuals of the populace a chance (however small it may be) to survive, and as he's forced to carry out Apocalypse's bidding, Xavier sends Jean Grey a secret telepathic message to let her know of his location. Professor X initiates a psychic battle with Apocalypse to buy time for Mystique and Quicksilver, who are both in immediate mortal danger because of the god-like mutant. No matter how [[spoiler:brutal or violent Apocalypse's MindRape is]], Charles' spirit doesn't break as long it can still draw breath. Even as [[spoiler:his mind is on the verge of death]], he still uses what little energy he has left to respond to Apocalypse's threat with a BadassBoast, and Xavier then [[spoiler:summons Jean to unleash the Phoenix]].

[[folder:Jokes]]
* From [[http://www.netfunny.com/rhf/jokes/88old/canoe.14.html netfunny]]: There were three guys traveling in Africa: a Frenchman, a Japanese, and an American. They are captured by a tribe of fierce headhunters. The witch doctor says to them, "We are going to slaughter you, but you might take some comfort in the fact that we don't believe in waste here, and that therefore every part of your body will go to some use. We will weave baskets out of your hair, we will render your bones for glue, and we will tan your skin and stretch it over wooden frames for canoes. Now we are going to allow you an honorable death, so I will give you each a knife and allow you to say some last words before killing yourselves."
-->The Japanese guy yells "Banzai!" and commits hara-kiri.\\
The French guy yells "Vive la France!" and slits his throat.\\
Then the American guy takes the knife, pokes holes all over his body, and yells, "There's your [[PrecisionFStrike fucking]] canoe!"
* A similar joke involves explorers who get CapturedByCannibals and subsequently StewedAlive. One explorer starts laughing and explains to the other that [[RevengeIsADishBestServed he just pissed in the soup]].

[[folder:Literature]]
* Cruelly defied in ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour''. The Ministry of Love [[TwoPlusTortureMakesFive beats and tortures all defiance]] out of anyone who commits thoughtcrime, before they kill them, and wipe all trace of them from history.
* In the last book of ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'', a minor character called [[PunnyName Kolin Ozkopy]] gives BigBad, Opal Koboi, a quick zinger before she kills him. In spite of this, she considered it unfinished business because not only was his death instantaneous and painless, but she could no longer deliver a counter-zinger to satisfy her ego.
* A Hungarian poem (well known amongst Hungarians) by poet János Arany, called ''The Bards of Wales'' (''A walesi bárdok''), has the titular bards as this. The King of England just occupied their homeland after a bloody war and demands they sing his praises. When they won't, he sends them to be burnt at the pyre. literally translated, "Five hundred, aye, singing, bards of Wales went to a grave of flame, but not one of them was able to say ''Long live Edward''." [[note]]According to the footnotes of the poet, "Though history doubts it, it is a strongly held belief that King Edward the First, after the occupation of the province of Wales (1277), had five hundred welsh bards killed so that, in singing of the glorious past of their nation, they couldn't encourage the people to shake off the English yoke."[[/note]]
* ''Literature/BazilBroketail'': Despite being unable to move, Jumble still refused to give up and kept on fighting before his enemies overwhelmed and restrained him.
* ''Literature/TheCaskOfAmontillado'': It is subtle, but Fortunato manages to pull this on Montresor as his last act. After Montresor mocks his cry of "For the love of God, Montresor!", Fortunato notably falls completely silent. The moment is essentially Fortunato realizing that dooming him to a slow death is only his murderer's secondary objective; what Montresor actually wants is the satisfaction of hearing him begging and pleading for his life until the end while he gloats at and humiliates him. And correctly enough, Montresor's narration betrays the fact that he is indeed greatly annoyed and even a bit psyched out by Fortunato's sudden silence, so much so that he tries calling out his name twice, only to be further frustrated when no reply is forthcoming.
* Late in ''[[Literature/{{Deryni}} The Bishop's Heir]]'', Llewell of Meara insults Kelson to his face after [[spoiler: murdering his own sister at her wedding ceremony]]. He glares at Kelson from the scaffold just before his subsequent execution.
* ''Literature/{{DFZ}}'': Yong, Great Dragon of Korea, says that a dragon should die with their teeth in the enemy's throat. Because of this, he refuses to back down quite a few times when he really should; his human daughter Opal disagrees with the concept. And then when the time comes to fight [[spoiler:a god on his home turf]], she thinks that she's going to go down with her teeth in his throat.
* ''Literature/DoctorSynTheScarecrow'': Convicted for murder, Black Nick Tappitt goes to the gallows unrepentant and swearing.
* Harry Dresden in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' has one standard-issue response to his villainous captors: [[DeadpanSnarker lots of snark]].
** At one point he starts mouthing off to a bigger bad guy than usual, and everyone is horrified. He points out that if he ''didn't'', the PhysicalGod might feel left out.
** When Harry is offered the power [[spoiler:of a fallen angel, a chance to join a group of people who are out to change the world for the better and to learn the truth of his parent's lives]], or he can be killed right then and there, he refuses offer with the quote "[l]ead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." This is followed by Harry's usual eloquence for declarative statements, when the person asked if he was sure, "Fuck off."
** This type of behavior was crucial when dealing with the {{Skinwalker}}, who gains power from fear.
** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in one of the short stories, when Harry doesn't say anything to the vampire holding him captive. [[spoiler: He then spits a load of garlic into her face and says that she should know he's got something up his sleeve if he's not talking.]]
** In ''Cold Days'', he's in top form. When [[spoiler:The Redcap]] is watching him at the botanical gardens, Harry didn't stop snarking him. Later [[spoiler:refused to bow to Maeve on Demonreach.]]
* In ''Literature/TheFaerieQueene'', Pyrrochles refuses to be spared by [[Myth/KingArthur Prince Arthur]] and pretty much orders the man to kill him or be killed himself. Arthur is disappointed, but doesn't hesitate to execute Pyrrochles.
* In ''Literature/FengshenYanyi'', since the central theme of the novel includes a war against the formerly legitimate ruling Dynasty which has now lost the blessing of the Heavens, it's not rare to have villainous generals and taoists who, under full belief that they were doing the right thing, refuses to surrender to the enemy when defeated and opt for execution or even suicide. It is also common for captured heroes to refuse to bow even to the enemy general who has them at his mercy.
* In Michael Palmer's book ''The Fifth Vial'', Natalie does this to the BigBad for two whole chapters before he's finally distracted enough for her to [[spoiler: slit his throat with a scalpel]].
* Main character Paul Edgecomb from ''Literature/TheGreenMile'' is not especially impressed with this trope. When AxCrazy PsychopathicManchild PoliticallyIncorrectVillain [[spoiler:and pedophile/child murderer]] Bill Wharton is brought into Paul's Death Row block, Paul immediately realizes that Wharton will act out this trope by attacking the guards, screwing with them and other prisoners, or just being a general pain in the ass right up until his execution date. Paul reflects that this "Fight until the end, even though it has no chance of changing anything and then keep fighting some more" sort of thing strikes some people as noble, but he doesn't think it's any more impressive than a cornered animal which knows it's about to die anyway making a last futile attack against a predator. Amusingly enough, the trope gets subverted [[spoiler:as Wharton is drugged into a stupor, and later, unrelated to that, a cowardly guard that Wharton had tormented shoots Wharton in his sleep while under the influence of a StupidityInducingAttack.]]
* Literature/HarryPotter:
** Harry himself in regards to Voldemort.
** Neville Longbottom towards Voldemort as well.
** Amelia Bones, who between ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheOrderOfThePhoenix Order]]'' and ''[[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince Prince]]'' forced Voldemort to come out of hiding to deal with her personally.
** Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour didn't like Harry and the feeling was mutual. Despite this, during the Death Eater coup of the Ministry, he withstood torture from ''Voldemort himself'' in his final moments, yet refused to divulge any information about Harry's whereabouts.
** And then there's Gellert Grindelwald, who was considered to be the most powerful and dangerous Dark Wizard in the world before Voldemort came along. When confronted by Voldemort himself, wandless and helpless, instead of going along with Voldy's demands, Grindelwald openly defies him and even ''laughs in his face''.
* Creator/RobertAHeinlein's ''Literature/HaveSpaceSuitWillTravel''. Several human beings are before an intergalactic court that will decide whether the human race will be destroyed. Two of them (a Roman centurion and a modern-day teenager) get angry and chew out the aliens for their high-handedness (the Roman uses language that's not fit for polite company). In a Subversion, the teenager finally asks, as a favor, to be returned home and share his species' fate if the decision goes against humanity. [[spoiler: The human race is given a reprieve.]]
* ''Literature/GodsAndWarriors'': In ''The Crocodile Tomb'', [[spoiler:Userref]] is captured by the Crows, and Telamon gives him only one chance to be killed painlessly and buried with proper Egyptian rites if he tells them where he hid [[ArtifactOfDoom the dagger of Koronos]] on behalf of [[spoiler:his mistress Pirra whom he believes to have died]]. Even with being threatened to be denied the burial rites and facing the [[CessationOfExistence "second dead"]], [[spoiler:Userref]] [[UndyingLoyalty refuses to]] let [[spoiler:Pirra]] down, endures the savage beatings he's given, and even laughs his defiance in Telamon's face. He eventually manages to break free with his arms still tied behind his back, run to the jetty and jump into the Nile. He drowns with his body intact enough for his brother to bury him in Egyptian way, and he denies the Crows the dagger for a time.
* ''Literature/IAmNotASerialKiller'': [[spoiler:Marci.]] [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome While we don't see it]], John's investigation of the crime scene assures us she refused to go down without a fight. How? There's blood splattered all over the walls and floor, and a mirror is broken. ''Her killer was trying to frame this as a suicide.'' While looking at the evidence of a hard-won battle, John remarks with quiet admiration, "[[DoNotGoGentle good for you]]".
* In ''Literature/ILucifer'' despite being offered a chance at [[spoiler:redemption and relief from his constant pain as a mortal]], Lucifer instead opts to [[spoiler:lead a second assault on paradise before likely facing ''eternity in the infinite void alone''.]]
* In ''Literature/{{Insurgent}}'', [[spoiler:Eric's last words are a sneer directed at Four]].
* Lucifer in the ''Literature/LeftBehind'' books. He doesn't give Jesus Christ the satisfaction of calling Him Lord until ''Kingdom Come'' when his entire Other Light army has been eradicated in a heartbeat.
* All of the students in ''Literature/LesMiserables'', but special awards go to Jean Prouvaire (who dies surrounded by the enemy and yelling "Vive la France! Long live the future!"), Enjolras (who throws away his empty gun and demands the enemy shoot him, even refusing a blindfold,) and Grantaire (who stands up and demands to be shot alongside Enjolras, even though he could have fled).
* Carl Sandburg's poem "The Man With The Broken Fingers." Some Gestapo agents are interrogating a captured Norwegian Resistance member, demanding that he give them the names of other Resistance fighters. He won't talk, so they break all the fingers on his left hand. He still won't talk, so they break every finger on his right hand. When he ''still'' refuses to talk, they break his left arm at the elbow and then at the shoulder, causing him to pass out. After he regains consciousness, they do the same thing to his right arm. He dies at their hands, but this is hailed as a victory by the poet because he never did give them any names.
* ''Literature/MistbornSecretHistory'' shows that the [[StarterVillain Lord Ruler]] from [[Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy the original trilogy]] is defiant ''past'' the end. His spirit arrives in the AfterlifeAntechamber near those of Preservation and his former ArchEnemy Kelsier, mocks them, and contemptuously leaves them behind to enter the Beyond.
* Ahab confronts ''Literature/MobyDick'' with lines that are later appropriated by the well-read and GenreSavvy Khan Noonien Singh in ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan:''
--> "To the last, I grapple with thee. From Hell's heart, I stab at thee. For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee."
* Cat of the ''Literature/NightHuntress'' series demonstrates this quality to Bones when they first meet. This impresses him and is part of the reason he fell in love with her.
-->'''Bones''': I began to fall in love with you when you challenged me to that stupid fight in the cave. There you were, chained up and bleeding, questioning my courage and almost daring me to kill you.
* In one ''Literature/{{Nightside}}'' book, Myth/{{Merlin}} is confronted by the current BigBad, [[spoiler:Lilith]], who tells him that he can live if he [[KneelBeforeZod bows down and submits]]. His response:
-->"There is only [[Myth/KingArthur one man]] I have ever bowed to. And you are not fit to polish his armor."
* Wendy in ''Literature/PeterPan'', upon being captured by Hook.
-->"So, my beauty," said Hook, as if he spoke in syrup, "you are to see your children walk the plank."\\
[[WickedCultured Fine gentlemen]] though he was, the intensity of his communings had soiled his ruff, and suddenly he knew that she was gazing at it. With a hasty gesture, he tried to hide it, but he was too late.\\
"Are they to die?" asked Wendy, with a look of such frightful contempt that he nearly fainted.
* Happens on a regular basis in ''Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms'' with several Generals telling those who've defeated them to sit on it and swivel.
* Creator/DavidWeber's ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'':
** In the second book of the series, ''By Schism Rent Asunder'', Erayk Dynnys, an archbishop, is used as a scapegoat by the [[CorruptChurch Church of God Awaiting]] for the rebellion of Charis. Though a low-level SinisterMinister throughout the first book, [[DeathEqualsRedemption when faced with execution he rediscovered God]] and, despite being offered a painless death by the Inquisition if he supported their version of events, he instead offered a [[FacingTheBulletsOneLiner Facing the Bullet]] FinalSpeech denouncing the Church's corruption and was [[TakeOurWordForIt horribly killed]] for doing so.
** Soldier-turned-devout-priest Hauwerd Wylsynn in the fourth book, ''A Mighty Fortress'' doesn't give the Inquisition a chance to haul information out of him through torture, so he instead chooses to die. He takes at least four armed and armored soldiers with him.
** The fifth book, ''How Firm a Foundation'' shows Charisian captain Gwylym Manthyr about to face the same punishment the archbishop above did. Grand Inquisitor Clyntahn asked if he wanted to deny any of the claims of blasphemy he was charged with, after having had his tongue cut out so he could do no such thing. Manthyr's response: [[SpitefulSpit He spit in Clyntahn's face.]]
** When Clyntahn himself is finally in this position at the end of ''Hell's Foundations Quiver'', he goes through his arrest and trial with his usual arrogance, smug in the security that, whatever happens to him in this life, the Archangels will have a place for him at their side. The day before his execution, however, he receives two visitors, [[spoiler:Merlin Athrawes and Nimue Chwaeriau, who proceed to tell him the truth about the "Archangels" and provide file footage of them to prove it]]. The experience breaks his attempts at defiance completely, and he's left a gibbering wreck during his execution.
* Húrin Thalion in ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' gets ''two'' of these:
** In the conclusion of the [[CurbStompBattle Nirnaeth Arnoediad,]] Húrin is left alone on a battlefield that has been completely overrun by the enemy -- the hosts of the elves were utterly broken and routed, and most of his fellow men [[spoiler: (those who didn't [[FaceHeelTurn betray the Alliance to Morgoth]]),]] lay dead all around him. So what does he do? He keeps swinging his axe against the horde of orcs and trolls all around him, and for every troll he kills, he cries "Auré enteluva (Day shall come again)!" He kills ''over 70 trolls'' before being taken.
** After being captured, he defies ''Morgoth himself'', mocking him and refusing to say anything about Turgon and his stronghold. Though he pays dearly for his defiance, it is remembered as a great deed because it protects the [[HiddenElfVillage city of Gondolin]] from invasion for several more centuries.
** Finrod Felagund is brought before Sauron after engineering the escape of Barahir and several other men from Tol-in-Gaurhoth, Sauron's island prison fortress. His response is to challenge Sauron to a battle of magic songs. He then has the gall to mock Sauron in his song. Of course, Sauron being a diabolic being of great power, Finrod gets absolutely curbstomped in the end.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** [[spoiler: Rickard Karstark]], set to be executed for treason by [[spoiler: Robb Stark]] in ''Literature/AStormOfSwords'', goes to his grave still defiant.
---> '''[[spoiler: Rickard Karstark]]''': "Kill me and be cursed. You are no king of mine."
** Overlapping with VillainousValour, one of the [[PsychoForHire Bloody Mummers]] gets his moment when [[spoiler: Brienne]] leaves him mortally wounded in ''Literature/AFeastForCrows''.
---> '''[[spoiler: Timeon]]''': "Finish it. Send me back to Dorne, you bloody bitch."
* Happens in a couple of ''Literature/SpaceMarineBattles'' novels, as befits the protagonists.
** In ''Malodrax'', Lysander is quick to realize that there's no way for him to win against the Iron Warriors and their slaves but keeps on struggling anyway because that's just what a Space Marine does. And alas, he's rewarded with a chance at freedom.
** In ''Battle of the Fang'', the defenders, for all their knowledge, are alone, with little to no chance of reinforcements and an army of sorcerers led by a daemon prince of Magic as their enemies. Regardless, they decide to make the Thousand Sons pay for every inch of terrain they get with blood.
* A villainous example in ''The Spiral Path'', the second book in the ''[[Franchise/WarcraftExpandedUniverse World of Warcraft: Traveler]]'' trilogy: The heroes, including the young gnoll warrior Hackle, are fighting a band of ogres, whose leader Marjuk [[YouKilledMyMother had killed Hackle's mother Gnaw]]. After the heroes prevail and all the other ogres have been killed, the injured Marjuk is surrounded by his foes and realizes he has no way out, so he turns to Hackle (who had earlier called dibs on killing him) and, right before the gnoll finishes him with one blow from his war club, spits out, "Gnaw easy kill."
* ''Literature/TheStand'': [[spoiler: Glen Bateman to Randall Flagg.]]
* This actually comes up quite often in ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends''; characters often get killed ''stupidly'', but they're always defiant.
** In the novel ''[[Literature/TheCallistaTrilogy Darksaber]]'', General [[http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Madine Crix Madine]] was captured and killed on the bridge of the new Darksaber superweapon. Which turned out to be ''nonfunctional'', making the death of the first (but by no means the last) character with a speaking role in the movies entirely pointless.
---> '''Durga''': Any last words?\\
'''Madine''': Not to you.
** A variant in the ''Literature/XWingSeries'' novel ''Iron Fist''; HeterosexualLifePartners Ton Phanan and Garick "Face" Loran were both taking part in an elaborate plan that had them pretending to be pirates to fool [[BigBad Zsinj]]; when Phanan got shot down over a Zsinj-controlled world, Face [[HonorBeforeReason followed him down]]. Phanan was mortally wounded, but if they surrendered to Zsinj and allowed themselves to be captured, he would get medical treatment. Face proposed this plan and was willing to do it, but Phanan said no, that would blow the deception, and the Wraiths would have to come up with a new one and give Zsinj more time to keep doing what he was doing.
** In the ''Literature/FateOfTheJedi'' series, LawfulStupid Kenth Hamner meets his end trying to stop the Jedi Council from launching their [=StealthXes=]. As a result, he ends up falling off a catwalk and is saved by his opponent, Saba Sebatayne. Instead of accepting surrender, Hamner continues to try and stop the launch, knowing full well that Saba can't support him and protect the [=StealthXes=] at the same time. Saba chooses the latter option.
* [[spoiler: Hal Briggs]] in the Creator/DaleBrown book ''Strike Force'' flips off the antiaircraft cannon about to kill him.
* Creator/AlfredLordTennyson evidently loved this trope:
** In "The Charge of the Light Brigade":\\
Theirs not to reason why,\\
Theirs but to do and die:\\
Into the valley of Death\\
Rode the six hundred.
** And again in "Ulysses":\\
Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'\\
We are not now that strength which in old days\\
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;\\
One equal temper of heroic hearts,\\
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will\\
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
* Stonefur in ''Literature/WarriorCats''. After being held prisoner, Tigerstar [[KneelBeforeZod him chance to prove his loyalty]], by ordering him to kill [[FantasticRacism two half-clan cats]]. Stonefur completely ignores him, and asks his former leader for orders, since he will not take them from any other cat. When she asks him to follow Tigerstar's order, he still refuses to kill them and vows to protect them instead. After that, Tigerstar sends his henchman to execute Stonefur, who [[HeroicResolve despite being imprisoned, starved, and barely able to stand]], manages to defend himself. [[spoiler:Tigerstar then sends another henchman, to pin Stonefur down and slice his throat.]]
* The Aiel, from Creator/RobertJordan's ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' series, personify this attitude. They have a BadassCreed that says, "'Till shade is gone, 'till water is gone (water is very important to them), into the Shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath, to spit in [[BigBad Sightblinder's]] eye on the last Day."
* In the poem, "The Young British Soldier" by Creator/RudyardKipling:
-->When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains,\\
And the women come out to cut up what remains,\\
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains\\
An' go to your Gawd like a soldier.
* Roshaun in ''[[Literature/YoungWizards Wizards at War]]'', after their cover's blown.

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In ''Series/TwentyFour'' Day 5, Agent Aaron Pierce has been taken hostage by corrupt President Charles Logan after discovering Logan's hand in the terrorist attacks and conspiracy for the day. He's ruthlessly beaten down and personally left with the option of either being executed due to his knowledge or keeping the lid on Logan's involvement and being bought off. His response:
-->'''Pierce''': There is nothing that you have said or done that is acceptable to me in the least. You're a traitor to this country and a disgrace to your office, and it's my duty to see that you're brought to justice for what you've done. Is there anything else, Charles?
** There's [[spoiler: Omar Hassan]] in Season 8...
* ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD'': Coulson proves that he's maintained this attitude from the movies, as shown when [[BigBad The Clairvoyant]] is trying to recruit him at gunpoint.
-->"I'd sooner die than serve [[spoiler: HYDRA]], you sick son of a bitch."
** In the episode [[Recap/AgentsOfSHIELDS2E6FracturedHouse "Fractured House"]], Agent Walters headbutts Marcus Scarlotti, a mercenary working for Comicbook/{{HYDRA}} and defiantly states that HYDRA will never defeat Comicbook/{{SHIELD}} even as he uses a splinter bomb to disintegrate her.
* ''Series/BlakesSeven'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4a68Sv_r5Q ended with this]]. After Avon kills Blake over a perceived betrayal (we never really know whether Avon was right), Federation troops swoop in. One by one, the crew is gunned down. In the end, there are a dozen-odd troops, guns up surrounding Avon. He puts on his best SlasherSmile, straddles Blake's corpse, and raises his gun...
* ''Series/BreakingBad'': Leonel Salamanca hates Walter so much that he crawls towards him as if planning to try to kill him, despite ''having had his legs amputated''.
** [[spoiler:Mike Ehrmantraut]] is a mild example. He just tells his killer to shut the fuck up and let him die in peace. He gets his way.
** "My name is [[spoiler: ASAC Schrader]], and you can go [[PrecisionFStrike fuck]] yourself."
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
** In the second season finale, Angelus is brutally torturing Giles for information on how to perform a ritual to destroy the world. When Giles seems ready to break, he comes out with this: "You must perform the ritual... while wearing a tutu. Pillock."
** In a similar example of bravery in the face of torture and the likelihood of death, Spike defies Glory, only breaking his silence to tell her that the Key's human form is Bob Barker.
** As Faith holds Willow at knifepoint, Willow tries to reason with her. Faith senses another speech coming on and invites Willow to tell her it's all right, there's still good in Faith, it's not too late to change, et cetera. Willow furrows her brows and says it's ''way'' too late.
--->'''Willow:''' "You know, it didn't have to be this way. But you made your choice. I know you had a tough life; I know that some people think you had a lot of bad breaks. Well, boo hoo! Poor you. You know, you had a lot more in your life than some people. I mean, you had friends like Buffy. Now you have no one. You were a Slayer, and now you're nothing."
* ''Series/TheCaesars'' features multiple examples of characters metaphorically spitting in the faces of the people responsible for their deaths.
** In "Sejanus", the Emperor Tiberius' great-nephew Nero is arrested for treason, then starved to death while imprisoned on the orders of Tiberius' enforcer, Sejanus, purely because he is ahead of Tiberius' grandson Gemellus in the line of succession (Sejanus is the lover of Gemellus' mother Livilla and aims to rule as regent when Gemellus becomes Emperor). Nero, believing that it is Tiberius at whose command he has been imprisoned, shouts curses at the Emperor until he no longer has the strength to do so.
** Nero's mother Agrippina, granddaughter of UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}}, follows suit in the following episode, "Caligula". A political rival of Tiberius since his declaration as Emperor (first believing that her husband Germanicus should be Emperor instead, then pinning her hopes on Nero succeeding him), she is banished to the island of Pandataria at the same time Nero is imprisoned. When Tiberius indicates that he has no plans to reverse Sejanus' decision to exile her, she forcibly starves herself to death to ensure that her blood is on Tiberius' hands.
** Agrippina's other son UsefulNotes/{{Caligula}} gets a defiant death scene in the last episode, "Claudius". With his insane rule as Emperor having finally created more enemies than he can get rid of, the PraetorianGuard decide enough is enough, [[BodyguardBetrayal corner him in an underground passage, and take turns stabbing him.]] After he has already been stabbed several times, he gasps his final words: "Strike again -- I'm still alive!"
* There is a great (non-fatal) example in ''Series/{{Castle}}'' in the middle of Season 3. The episode's villain, an assassin working for the man who had Beckett's mother killed, has kidnapped Ryan and Esposito in order to find out what the good guys know about his employer. Then comes the following exchange:
-->'''Assassin:''' Now, I'm gonna make you a deal: you tell me what I need to know, one pro to another, and I will put a bullet in your brain. You don't, you jerk me around, and you will be begging me to before this night is up.\\
'''Esposito:''' I'm gonna have to go with option B, bro.\\
'''Ryan:''' Oh yeah, we are definitely gonna jerk you around.
** Ryan and Espo do a lot of it in this scene, from Ryan (after being dunked in a tub of ice water) saying "This is nothing. I went to Catholic school for twelve years, they did this to you just for talking in class." to Espo, having agreed to tell the bad guy what he wants to know, saying "The cops know all about... me and your mom."
** Montgomery got a truly heartbreaking one at the end of Season 3. He managed to take out all of the bad guys that came for Beckett except the Assassin mentioned above, who manages to fatally shoot him.
---> '''Assassin:''' This was all for nothing. I'm just gonna kill her anyway.\\
'''Montgomery:''' No you're not, and he's not. I saw to that. ''-pulls out a gun and shoots Assassin point-blank-''
* ''Series/{{Dexter}}'' does this as a deliberate ploy when he's caught by the Skinner, another serial killer, using his understanding of serial killers to his advantage. It works.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS27E13ThePartingOfTheWays "The Parting of the Ways"]]: Captain Jack's last words to the Daleks.
--> "EX-TER-MIN-ATE!"
--> "I kinda figured that."
** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E17E18TheEndOfTime "The End of Time"]]: The Doctor himself gets one, mocking the Master after just having praised him as "brilliant".
--->'''The Doctor:''' Actually the most amazing thing about you is that after all this time, you're still bone-dead stupid.
* ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' Simon in "Objects in Space". Mal in "War Stories".
** Simon in "Safe". The only thing that saved him was Mal and Zoe showing up to become [[BigDamnHeroes Big Damn Trope Namers]].
* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':
** Mirri Maz Duur vows not to scream while being burnt alive but is eventually unable to hold to this.
** Ser Rodrik goes down literally spitting on Theon for his betrayal. And considering what Theon goes through later, with a DyingCurse.
--->'''Rodrick:''' Gods help you, Theon Greyjoy, now you are truly lost.
** Lord Karstark shows no fear at his execution and uses his last words to curse his executioner. However, rather than the usual triumphant moment, it instead cements how far he is beyond the MoralEventHorizon.
** Brienne will never ''ever'' go down without a fight. She had every intention of this when she was forced to face a bear with only a wooden sword before her rescue in "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", as well as when she was dragged off to be gang-raped.
** Orell uses his final moments to jump into his eagle and attack his assailant's pretty face.
** Tormund is surrounded by enemies and wounded several times, yet he refuses to surrender until he is disarmed by a quarrel to the knee and dragged off, still yelling curses at his captors.
** Subverted by Mance Rayder who surrenders surprisingly quickly when his enormous army is taken by surprise in "The Children". His refusal to KneelBeforeZod right after is somewhat hollow in comparison.
** "You're no son of mine!". Whatever else you think of him, Tywin's decision to denounce the man who just mortally wounded him rather than a whimper or plead is worthy of respect.
** Olenna Tyrell before and after she had drunk the poison given to her by Jaime Lannister. She wanted Jaime to give Cersei a little message.
--->'''Olenna''': I'd hate to die like your son. Clawing at my neck, foam and bile spilling from my mouth, eyes blood red, skin purple. It must have been horrible for you, as a Kingsguard, as a father. It was horrible enough for me, a shocking scene, not at all what I intended. You see, I'd never seen the poison work before. Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me.
** When Brienne finds Stannis, he's wounded and unable to stand up; nevertheless, he's completely dismissive of her and simply tells her to get it over with.
* ''Series/HoratioHornblower'', "The Frogs and the Lobsters": Monsieur Fauré is Mayor of Muzillac in the new republic after the French revolution and he has the dubious pleasure of welcoming a returning local aristocrat, Colonel Moncoutant, who is on a mission supported by the British Army and Navy and who wants his land and house back. Fauré's seized by Royalists and when it's clear that he must either submit to Moncoutant or be killed, he chooses to be killed. He starts singing ''La Marseillaise'' to Moncoutant's face. Liberty, equality, fraternity!
* ''Series/{{Justified}}'' has [[spoiler:Johnny Crowder]] whose last act is to laugh in his murderer's face after the latter's gang screw up a drug transaction.
* On ''Series/{{Lost}}'', [[spoiler: Charlie]] faces capture this way, knowing that he is about to die anyway and that he will have initiated the rescue of his friends.
* In ''Series/LowWinterSun'', when Reverend Lowdown's masked goons kill Damon, his last words are "Nice mask, asshole."
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': Even while at the mercy of Cora, a sorceress who could kill her quite unpleasantly with the wave of a hand, [[DamselInDistress Aurora]] [[PluckyGirl mocks Cora to her face]], and makes it quite clear there is no offer she could make that would win her over. Cora herself comments on Aurora's pluck.
* ''Series/TheOutpost'': In the first season finale, most of the core cast are facing execution by the [[TheTheocracy Prime Order]]. Yet despite being moments away from being hanged, Withers and the Mistress can't help but fling insults at [[TheQuisling Higgs]] as he bumbles his way through the official execution proclamation.
* Paul Kellerman of ''Series/PrisonBreak'' tells the officers driving him from the courthouse that members of the French resistance often smiled before being executed by the Nazis. Moments later, the van is assaulted by armed men. [[spoiler:In what was almost certainly a retcon, it turns out they were there to rescue him.]]
%%* [[spoiler: Danny]] gets a truly incredible one of these in ''Series/{{Spooks}}''.
* ''Series/StargateSG1''. Jack O'Neill. All the time.
-->'''Ba'al:''' [[WhoDares You dare]] mock me?!\\
'''O'Neill:''' Ba'al, come on! You should know. Of ''course'' I dare mock you.
** Teal'c too: if a Goa'uld ''really'' has him on the ropes he might get a snarled [[CatchPhrase "I Die Free"]] out of him, but he'll probably just stick to pointing out that the 'god' in question is a slimy PuppeteerParasite.
--->'''Jonas:''' Is it ''really'' necessary to further antagonize him? ''[they are trapped in a pyramid with dozens of Jaffa twenty feet away and a gigantic alien mothership in orbit]''\\
'''O'Neill''': ''[matter-of-factly]'' Yes.
** All the Free Jaffa use it as a rallying cry. "I die free!"
* In ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Yesterday's Enterprise", the Klingons, after causing major damage to the alternate-universe Enterprise, order Picard to surrender or be boarded. Picard's response? Keep shooting.
-->'''Picard''': That will be the day.
** A major Picard ''subversion'' also occurs at the end of the "Chain of Command" two-parter, after Picard is subjected to days of ColdBloodedTorture, during which the interrogator attempts to force Picard to [[TwoPlusTortureMakesFive say that there are five lights on a wall when there are obviously just four]]. He manages to expose his captor's own foibles and famously screams out "[[PunctuatedForEmphasis THERE! ARE! FOUR! LIGHTS!]]" when he is released. It looks like a straight play, until a short scene with Troi at the end, when Picard admits that he was released just in the nick of time, because not only was he ready to surrender and say that there were five lights on the wall, he thought he could ''actually see'' five lights.
* In "By Inferno's Light" from ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', Worf is imprisoned by Jem'Hadar and fights a series of guards with increasingly brutal injuries. The First of the guards himself is the last challenger, and is able to fairly easily overcome the wounded Worf. Despite even Martok's assurance that his honor is satisfied, Worf declares "I will not yield!" as he crawls toward the post that signals he is ready to continue after he goes down yet again. The First declares him a WorthyOpponent despite the attending Vorta's order to FinishHim:
-->'''Ikat'ika''': I yield! I cannot defeat this Klingon. All I can do is kill him. And that no longer holds my interest.
:::Unfortunately the attending Vorta is unimpressed and orders them both killed.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Castiel has been captured by the Devil in a ring of holy fire, and Lucifer offers him a job and points out that, having disobeyed Heaven, Cas will be #1 on the hit list if they manage to get rid of Luci. Clearly terrified, Cas just says, "I'll die first". Not as snarky as most examples, but quietly awesome all the same.
** Also:
--->'''[[spoiler: Gabriel]]:''' Lucifer, you're my brother, and I love you, but you are a great big bag of dicks.
* ''Series/TerminatorTheSarahConnorChronicles'': "I'll never help you get to John Connor."
* [[spoiler:Molly]] in ''Series/TrueBlood''. [[spoiler:The Authority are preparing to execute her, and in her final moments she refuses to accept Lilith, instead telling them that they are the opposite of evolved.]]
* ''Series/TheWalkingDead'': [[spoiler: Merle]] goes down in a fistfight against [[BigBad the Governor]], and shows no fear even when bloody, beaten, and facing down the Governor's gun.
-->" I ain't gonna beg! [[FaceDeathWithDignity I ain't begging you!]]"
** When Alexandria is overrun by a massive horde of walkers, [[spoiler: Deanna]] is bitten in the chaos. As her health rapidly deteriorates, she tells the others to leave her behind while they escape from the house they've holed up in and prepares to shoot herself. However, at the last minute, she instead decides to empty her gun into a hallway full of walkers, and then screaming defiantly at the remaining ones as they close in on her.
** [[spoiler: Abraham Ford]], whom Negan executes as an example to the rest of Rick's group. Throughout the scene he is [[DefiantCaptive challenging Negan]] and, after Negan chooses him as the victim, merely stares him down and smiles. His dying words, after taking a baseball bat covered in barbed wire to the head? "Suck my nuts." It's implied Negan chose him specifically because he realized [[spoiler: Abraham]] would never break.
* The ProfaneFinalWords of BigBad Lady Trieu in ''Series/Watchmen2019'' are to call Vedit a "Motherfucker" for ruining her plans.
* On ''Series/TheXFiles'', Mulder does this while on trial for murder. When a panel of judges finds him guilty of a murder he could not have committed, he has this to say:
-->'''Mulder''': Yes. I'd like to congratulate you, on succeeding where so many before you have failed. A bullet between the eyes would have been preferable to this charade. But I've learned to pretend over the past nine years -- to pretend that my victories mattered only to realize that no one was keeping score. To realize that liars do not fear the truth if there are enough liars. That the devil is just one man with a plan, but evil, true evil, is a collaboration of men, which is what we have here today. If I am a guilty man, my crime is in daring to believe; that the truth will out and that no one lie can live forever. I believe it still. Much as you try to bury it, the truth is out there. Greater than your lies, the truth wants to be known. You will know it. It'll come to you, as it's come to me, faster than the speed of light. You may believe yourselves rid of your headache now, and maybe you are... but you've only done it by cutting off your own heads.

[[folder:Music]]
* ''The Minstrel Boy'' is an Irish folk song telling of the titular minstrel going to war for Ireland, but falls in battle. With a combination of IDieFree, he chooses to make one last act against his murderers by destroying his harp.
-->''The Minstrel fell! But the foeman's chain\\
Could not bring his proud soul under;\\
The harp he loved ne'er spoke again,\\
For he tore its chords asunder;\\
And said "No chains shall sully thee,\\
Thou soul of love and bravery!\\
Thy songs were made for the pure and free\\
They shall never sound in slavery!"
* Magnetman in Music/TheMegas' "Don't Mess with Magnetman" knows full well that Mega Man is out for his blood, and is probably going to kill him. He doesn't ''like'' it, and would love to avoid it, but since it appears inevitable, he's going to go down swinging.
-->''I am magnetically\\
Drawing my death to me\\
So why can't my body\\
Reverse polarity?\\
You walk into my town\\
Wavin' that gun around\\
You want a fight,\\
I'll give you one tonight!''

[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
* In the apocryphal [[Literature/BooksOfMaccabees book of 2nd Maccabees]], the seven Jewish brothers who were forced to eat food forbidden by their dietary laws under the threat of death all refused to do so, preferring to remain faithful to their God instead. Their mother also joined them in the same defiant rebellion. And before them, Eleazar boldly refused to make it even look like he was eating forbidden food when meat sanctioned by the Law of God was substituted, so as to not cause other faithful Jews to turn away from God.

[[folder:Pinballs]]
* In ''Pinball/TheAddamsFamily'', if the player gets an end-of-ball bonus worth 20 million points or more, Gomez shouts "Who says you can't take it with you?!"

[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
* Wrestling/ShawnMichaels perfectly embodied this trope during the last match of his career at Wrestling/WrestleMania XXVI. Down, out, and all but defeated, he clawed his way up at the feet of what's probably [[ImplacableMan the most dominant force in WWE history]] (Wrestling/TheUndertaker at [=WrestleMania=]). Knowing he was going to lose, but (as is definitely his nature) remaining defiant, Michaels mimicked Undertaker's "Throat cut" gesture. Undertaker didn't respond... so Shawn slapped him across the face. You could see the exact moment that Undertaker went from slightly merciful to [[BerserkButton PISSED OFF]]. Cue Super Atomic Jumping Tombstone of Death.
** Which was largely a nod to the Wrestlemania two years prior, again with Shawn Michaels, but this time against his friend/mentor/father-figure Wrestling/RicFlair, facing a [[LoserLeavesTown mandate that the next time he lost, he was fired]]. He wanted Michaels, who had long been called "Mister Wrestlemania", specifically because [[WorthyOpponent he had to fight the best]], or it didn't mean anything. At the end of the match, Flair (legitimately, if tales are to be believed) had trouble even standing and holding his fists up, telling Shawn to "Come on! [[GetItOverWith Pull the trigger!]]" He knew it was his last match, and it would end in nothing short of an epic climax.
** Then there was the Hell in a Cell Match at Wrestling/WrestleMania XXVIII between Wrestling/TripleH and Wrestling/TheUndertaker. Often acclaimed as the most dramatic of all of the Undertaker's matches in Wrestling/WrestleMania history, the final sequence goes as this: Triple H, beaten and broken, with his last breath, lunges towards 'Taker, sledgehammer in hand...and is stopped, 'Taker grabbing the sledgehammer, shaking his head. Triple H, knowing he is beaten, leans against the turnbuckles in the corner, and with one last act of defiance, performs a crotch-chop to 'Taker before having said sledgehammer rammed into his head, being hit with the Tombstone Piledriver, and being pinned.
** Similarly, at Wrestling/SummerSlam 2015 The Undertaker hit Brock Lesnar with a low blow and then applied his 'Hell's Gate' submission hold. With only a few seconds before he would be choked out, Brock chose not to tap but to give him [[FlippingTheBird two middle fingers]] instead.
* Wrestling/MercedesMartinez has been receiving death threats from the Wrestling/{{WSU}}'s Midwest Militia for much of the fall. Doesn't really care. Turns out they're pretty serious about that, handcuffing her opponents and the referee during a [[GimmickMatches War Games Match]] so they can ensure there will be some kind of audience when they beat Martinez to death but she still doesn't quit. Then she's dropped off the top rope on her head, seemingly paralyzed while Jessicka Havok produces a machete. Martinez can't even defend herself any long but she ''can'' [[SpitefulSpit spit]].

[[folder:Theater]]
* By the final act of ''Theatre/{{Carmen}}'', Don José, obsessed with Carmen, has become a CrazyJealousGuy, and Carmen has fallen in love with [[BadassBaritone Escamillo]]. Outside the bullring in Seville, Don José confronts Carmen, first to ask her nicely, then to try to bully her into returning to him. But Carmen boldly refuses to cave, instead tossing him a ring he gave her the other day before running to the bullring. [[spoiler: Too bad [[NotGoodWithRejection Don José]] [[IfICantHaveYou stabbed her in the back for it]].]]
* The final scene of ''Theatre/DonGiovanni'' involves the title character being met with the statue of a man he killed during the opening scene. The statue urges Don Giovanni to repent, but the latter refuses [[spoiler: and ends up DraggedOffToHell]].
* From ''Theatre/LesMiserables'' [[spoiler:Enjolras and the members of the ABC during their final stand at the barricades.]]
-->Let us die facing our foes\\
Make them bleed while we can.\\
Make them pay through the nose.\\
Make them pay for every man!\\
Let others rise\\
To take our place\\
Until the earth is free!
** Javert when he is outed as a spy while at the barricade and believes (rightfully) that the students plan to execute him.
-->Shoot me now or shoot me later\\
Every schoolboy to his sport\\
Death to each and every traitor\\
I renounce your people's court!
* In the original stage play for ''Film/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow'', when [[spoiler:Riff Raff told him he was going to kill him]], [[spoiler:Frank]] responded with, ‘Do your worst, inferior one.’

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* This is the primary ethos of ''TabletopGame/DeltaGreen'' in a nutshell. Is humanity screwed six non-Euclidean ways from Sunday? Absolutely. But that doesn't mean you just lie down and let it happen.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}''. Rovagug's antipaladin code demands this from its adherents:
-->I will die standing.
* ''TabletopGame/PsionicsTheNextStageInHumanEvolution'' gives us Mama Bear, who has been captured by a shadowy government conspiracy that wants to forcefully indoctrinate her.
** When she's first detained, she's openly disrespectful towards her captors, flipping a therapist off with both hands before using her telekinesis to slap him in the face with a clipboard. She does this knowing that she can't get away yet and with a full understanding that she'll be punished for it.
** When a woman tries to break her spirit by sympathetically telling her that her friends were killed during a rescue attempt, she snaps and horribly injures her. This also strengthens her resolve to keep resisting and it's made clear that her contempt and hostility for the organization incarcerating her are just as strong, if not stronger, than at the beginning of the story.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
** The Imperium, in general, has been likened to a man hanging from a cliff by his fingernails, watched and jeered at by the various cosmic horrors of the setting. He ''could'' use his free hand ta hang on a bit longer, but then he'd have nothing to flip them off with.
** Warboss Tuska was an ork with a dream of finding the best fights and reasoned that the best place to find them was in the Eye of Terror. He did just that, leading his Waaagh! on an interplanetary rampage through the biggest NegativeSpaceWedgie in the galaxy until they finally met their match on a daemon world of the Blood Prince, a Daemon Prince of Khorne.
---> Eventually Tuska was impaled through the gut by his adversary and pinned to the ground by its cloven hoof. In triumph, the Blood Prince screamed its praise to Khorne, but whilst it was distracted, the warband's remaining Weirdboys unleashed a storm of psychic energy upon the deamon. It roared in rage at their impudence, crushing their minds with a gesture. With his final act, Tuska reached up between the creature's legs with his power klaw and [[GroinAttack made a gesture of his own.]]
*** As punishment, the orks are resurrected every day to fight again. [[WarriorHeaven Talk about missing the point.]]
** “[[HeroicSacrifice Cadia stands”]]
** Ancient Rylanor, from ''Literature/HorusHeresy'', was later featured in the short story "The Ancient Awaits", in which he had set up an emergency beacon broadcasting the titular message in the hope of luring his fallen Primarch to the ruined planet. Fulgrim responds, and after dealing a swift defeat to Rylanor, he rips the Dreadnought from out of his shell, offering to remake him and restore him to glory as a champion of Chaos. [[spoiler: His proud defiance leads the Thousand Sons contingent holding back the effects of the Virus Bomb Rylanor had detonated to drop the shield, sacrificing themselves to keep Rylanor from being forcibly turned]].
--->'''Rylanor''': Never! [[WeUsedToBeFriends All we have left between us]] is [[TakingYouWithMe that we will die together]]! I am Rylanor of the Emperor's Children. Ancient of Rites, Venerable of the Palatine Host, and proud servant of the Emperor of Mankind, beloved by all. I reject you now and always!
* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'':
** SETTRA DOES NOT SERVE! SETTRA RULES!
--> Settra said this to [[OmnicidalManiac Nagash]], one of the most terrifying villains in Warhammer Fantasy, Who offered him the position of being a Mortarch, in other words, becoming one of the Nagash's lieutenants. Settra gave this response. Nagash flipped out and then proceeded to destroy everything Settra fought for, [[AndIMustScream while keeping him alive]].
*** After the Chaos Gods put him back together and offer to raise him to Godhood in exchange for servitude, he fakes allegiance until he sees Nagash, then tells Nagash that he will kill him, but not before making the Chaos Gods pay for daring to offer him servitude, then charges a horde of monsters as the world ends.

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/AFKArena'', this trope was Khasos's ''plan'' in his backstory, but [[SubvertedTrope it didn't quite work out that way]]. Being a slave who knew his exceptionally-cruel master would have his head for accidentally losing his sheep, [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled challenged him to a fight to the death]] so that he could die in combat like any self-respecting [[ProudWarriorRace Mauler]] instead of being struck down while helpless. Nobody was more shocked than he himself was that he [[BadassUnintentional actually won]] due to his superior agility, his master arrogantly making a game out of it and not taking him seriously, and [[OneHitKill a single lucky blow to the neck]].
* In ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIII'', the second-to-last Templar to be assassinated, [[spoiler:Hatham Kenway, stands by his group's vision even after Connor delivers the final blow.]]
* ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath'' has a perfect demonstration of this trope with the final battle between Asura and [[spoiler: Chakravartin]]. After Asura [[spoiler: rejects Chakravartin's offer of godhood via [[TalkToTheFist punch to the face]], it begins an epic, all-out showdown that spans all across the Event Horizon with Chakravartin throwing everything he's got at Asura and Asura showing he can tank everything Chakravartin's got and toss it right back. Eventually, after losing a PummelDuel with Asura, Chakravartin goes OneWingedAngel and reduces Asura to his base form, but even then Asura just keeps on swinging as the fight eventually devolves into a brutal fistfight between the two as Chakravartin's power begins to weaken.[[note]]Chakravartin even gets his own ActionCommands during this part of the fight, but starts to mess them up as the fight wears on[[/note]]. But even as he starts taking heavy damage, Chakravartin goes down fighting to the end as Asura beats the shit out of him while laying out an epic NoMoreHoldingBackSpeech.]]
* Jon Irenicus of ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'' winds up being defiant even ''after'' the end: Once defeated by the player, banished to the Abyss, and stripped of his magic, we last see him defending himself from a horde of demons with his bare hands, and even taking a couple of them down before being overwhelmed by their numbers.
* ''VideoGame/BattleForWesnoth'': In the final scenario of ''The Rise of Wesnoth'', [[spoiler:Commander Aethyr is killed by Lich-Lord Jevyan as part of an SelfSacrificeScheme]], and he still taunts and insults Jeyvan as the Lich Lord is slowly draining the life out of him.
* ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'' features this, most notably with Handsome Jack, the main antagonist of the series. Upon being beaten in the end, with his plans having crumbled, Handsome Jack doesn't beg or even throw his characteristically [[IShallTauntYou cocky insults or snappy jokes]] at the player; he instead delivers the most [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech violent, hateful, profane, lengthy "Fuck you" speech of the entire game]], with pure psychotic insanity laden in his voice and lava and flames splashing about the area, condemning the player and their friends for destroying his vision of order and for ensuring what he views as lawlessness and murder on the planet of Pandora. Whether you choose to kill him or allow your ally to do so, he doesn't beg and he doesn't even flinch.
** Deconstructed in ''VideoGame/TalesFromTheBorderlands'': [[spoiler: Jack]] tries to be defiant when he thinks he's about to die, making threats, but when it becomes clear that that's not working, he's reduced to pathetic, terrified begging and desperation, clearly showing that his earlier threats were completely toothless. [[spoiler: And neither the threats nor the begging work.]]
* Taken completely literally in the ''VideoGame/ChzoMythos''; [[spoiler: Trilby, and his stubborn will to live, is giving the Tall Man enough time to transport into reality. To avoid this? He makes himself die on the spot. To spite the Tall Man. Averted because he immediately comes back to life and the Tall Man only actually needed Trilby's blood.]]
* The FinalBoss of ''VideoGame/DarkestDungeon'' almost always requires you to sacrifice two heroes to it. Some will FaceDeathWithDignity, telling you to spare the others and accepting their doom calmly. Some will beg for survival. Some will actively ''[[DeathSeeker demand]]'' that you pick them. The Bounty Hunter will just ''grunt'' because he's TheQuietOne. And then, qualifying for this trope, there are the Crusader and the Hellion.
-->'''Crusader:''' Unholy foulness! [[TakingYouWithMe I will take you with me!]]\\
'''Hellion:''' Send me to hell then! [[BattleCry AAAKYLORAAAH!]]
* If you fail to pay the BigBad of ''VideoGame/DeadInVinland'' tribute until the [[AllianceMeter enmity meter]] reaches 100%, he'll [[NonStandardGameOver invade your camp]] to [[BadEnd slaughter everyone]]. Rebellious teenage daughter Kari reacts with her typical HairTriggerTemper, so he decides to kill her first [[ForcedToWatch in front of her parents]]. The [[DyingMomentOfAwesome last thing]] she does before he [[OffWithHisHead cuts off her head]] is [[SpitefulSpit spit in his eye]]. It's noted that he still has that eye closed after the axe comes down.
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'':
** The Human Noble Warden's defiant response to Arl Howe mocking them for having killed their entire family and claiming there is nothing now that the Wardens are gone as well.
--->'''Human Noble''': [[ShutUpHannibal You lie]], Howe. To yourself most of all. I am a ''Grey Warden!''\\
'''Arl Howe''': There it is, right there. That damned look in the eye that marked every Cousland success that held me back!
** Howe gets in on it too, after you defeat him. His defiance is far less sympathetic, however.
--->'''Arl Howe:''' Maker spit on you. ''I deserved more.''
* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', the final boss of the ''Mark of the Assassin'' {{DLC}} is defeated and hanging from a cliff by one hand;
-->'''Duke Prosper''': You will all die screaming, I swear it!\\
'''Snarky!Hawke''': ''I'' would have tried begging for mercy, but that's just me. *''Turns and walks away''* Thank you for the lovely party, I'll treasure the belt!\\
'''Duke Prosper''': *''Falls down, screaming''*\\
'''Varric:''' And that's what you get for spending your last minute monologuing.\\
'''Snarky!Hawke''': Looks like the Duke... ''[[QuipToBlack has fallen from grace.]]''
* In ''VideoGame/{{Evolve}}'' you can do this as the hunter. Even as you lie bleeding out on the ground and the monster is preparing to finish you off, or just watching you die, you can fire your peashooter of a pistol at it until you die.
* The [[PlayerCharacter Lone Wanderer]] invokes this beautifully in ''VideoGame/{{Fallout 3}}''. When [[spoiler: captured by the Enclave,]] the Wanderer gets interrogated by Colonel Autumn, and you can defy him in three ways: you can play dumb, you can tell him in no uncertain terms to [[PrecisionFStrike go fuck himself]], or you can tell him a lie. The latter two are extremely satisfying (either from the insult or from hearing Autumn's resultant tirade), considering [[spoiler: it's his fault that your [[Creator/LiamNeeson father]] dies.]] Fortunately, they survive.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'': Galuf takes on Exdeath solo after the rest of the party falls, and doesn't let a pesky thing like running out of {{Hit Point}}s stop him until Exdeath retreats, even if it costs him his life.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': [[SkyPirate Balthier's]] reaction to a sword to his throat?
--> '''Balthier''': Well, at least your sword is [[{{Pun}} to the point]].
** Balthier can also be heard snarking calmly when he's knocked out in combat:
--->'''Balthier:''' Is that your best?
* In the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series:
** Lord Elbert in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade''. [[spoiler: Even though he's ''dying'' from just having had his energy sucked out to summon a dragon by the BigBad Nergal, he still manages to give Nergal a grievous wound before telling him he "will oppose him always". By the way, that wound? Takes a ''long'' time to heal. It's late game by the time Nergal's at his full strength again]].
** DiscOneFinalBoss Jarod is a villainous example in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn''. Surrounded, outnumbered and outgunned, and scapegoated for the entire disaster of the Daein occupation by his superiors, Jarod barricades his army inside Daein Keep, gives one last RousingSpeech, and uses catapults to destroy the capital city. When he's finally cornered, his last words are an IRegretNothing speech and the verbal equivalent of spitting in Micaiah's face.
** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', when Part II rolls around, Edelgard refuses to surrender under any circumstances. [[spoiler:On the Azure Moon route, right before the penultimate battle, Dimitri has total military control of the entire continent and has her cornered in her capital city, and nearly all of her supporters are dead. Despite this, she still rejects his continuous attempts to end the war peacefully and fights to the last breath. On the Verdant Wind route, as Claude is breaking down her last defenders in her own throne room, he begs her to give up, but she refuses to quit.]]
** Near the end of Book II of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes'', Helbindi, one of [[ArcVillain Surtr]]'s generals, realizes that Surtr burned down the slums where Helbindi used to live, killing [[MoralityPet Helbindi's sister]] and countless others. Helbindi then betrays Surtr by freeing Veronica and Ylgr, the two [[HumanSacrifice sacrifices]] Surtr intended to use for the Rite of Flames to secure his immortality. As the two girls flee, Surtr catches Helbindi, and asks him if he has any last words. Helbindi tells Surtr that, "What you got coming to you... you deserve it," before fighting with Surtr and being KilledOffscreen.
* [[spoiler: Lilac]] from ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'' is eventually captured, tortured, mutilated and left completely at the mercy of Lord Brevon, who planned on executing her shortly if not for a BigDamnHeroes moment that prevented it, and she ''still'' doesn't stop defiantly mouthing off to him. Brevon even muses that he could hack off all her limbs [[{{Determinator}} and she'd still try to bite him.]]
* Kratos from the ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' series.
-->'''Kratos''': A choice from the Gods is as useless as the Gods themselves.\\
'''Zeus''': Even now as you draw your last breath, you continue to defy me!?
** Extends to his cameo appearance in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9''. He never grimaces or shows pain when being hit with X-Ray Attacks or Fatalities.
** Ironically, this was a direct mandate of Sony that Kratos not show any weakness or pain during said attacks. A case of ExecutiveMeddling working in a good way.
* Eddie Pulaski, one of the antagonists from ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' is this after Carl causes him to crash and asks for any last words. Eddie's response? "Can I fuck your sister?"
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
** Emile and player character Noble Six of ''VideoGame/HaloReach'' display this trope rather well. Emile takes it to [[spoiler:DyingMomentOfAwesome territory when a Covenant Elite impales him with its sword from behind. Without missing a beat, he spins around and stabs the Elite in the neck, taking it down with him]]. Six displays it early, when an Elite grabs him/her and pins him/her to a wall, Six punches him in the face. It comes to a head at the game's end when [[spoiler: Six stays behind on Reach to help Keyes escape with the Cortana fragment. He/she takes on the swarming Covenant with a vast array of weapons, ending with an assault rifle in one hand and a pistol in the other, and then his/her bare hands, still punching and kicking at them as they deliver the killing blow]].
** Sergeant Johnson in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}''. When he's captured by the Brutes, Truth tries to force him to activate the Halos, because only a human can do it. When he refuses, the Brutes attempt to force him to do it by physical force. He just punches their chieftain straight in its face and then insults it. Even when Truth himself attempts to force him to light the Halos, Johnson remains defiant and even insults Truth himself straight to his face while he's being manhandled by the Brutes from behind.
* ''VideoGame/HenryStickminSeries'': Reginald Copperbottom shows this on two occasions. [[spoiler: In ''Jewel Baron'', as Reginald gets sucked out of his broken escape pod, he curses Henry -- who singlehandedly brought his clan to ruin for the sake of a priceless artifact - with his dying breath. And in ''Revenged'', as he's pinned to his airship that is about to crash, he [[TakingYouWithMe gets one last shot on Henry]] while declaring that they'll share this last ride together.]]
* After finding the masterminds behind the phone calls in ''VideoGame/HotlineMiami'', the player is able to kill the two responsible if they want. Once they shoot one of them, the other simply flips the bird to the player.
* [[spoiler:Lex Luthor]] in ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs''. [[spoiler:Note that in the Injustice Universe, Lex is a good guy and a longtime friend of Superman, but also helping against his regime.]] He's about to kill him successfully until Shazam attacks and disables his armor, allowing Superman to injure him mortally.
-->'''Superman''': How could you? I brought peace to this world!\\
'''[[spoiler:Lex Luthor]]''': Your peace... is a joke. *dies*
* In ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords'', during a holorecording showing the Exile's trial and banishment from the Jedi Order, they are ordered to relinquish their lightsaber. Without saying a word, the Exile tells them ''exactly'' where they can shove it by stabbing it into the centre stone of the Council Chamber, then turns and casually walks out. More than one Jedi Master appears uncertain whether they want to be irritated or impressed by this.
* Near the start of ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII'', a gang of WLF members lures [[spoiler:the previous game's protagonist Joel]] into a trap and plans on brutally murdering him. As the ringleader invites the victim to guess his killer's identity, the victim tells the killer, "Why don't you say whatever speech you got rehearsed... and get this over with?"
* [[spoiler:Emily Wong]] of the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series. While an extremely minor character throughout the series proper, the night before ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' went live, [[CharacterBlog she chronicled]] the first 12 or so hours of the [[EldritchAbomination Reaper]] invasion on the Alliance News Network Twitter page. After getting injured, losing all of her weapons, watching her coworkers and fellow survivors get slaughtered, and, above all else, [[spoiler:[[BreakTheCutie finding out that her tweets might have allowed the Reapers to find ANN's followers]]]], she decides that, since she's going out anyway, [[TakingYouWithMe she might as well go out with style.]] So she takes a skycar and starts [[RammingAlwaysWorks flying towards the nearest Reaper]]. Her final words really seal the deal.
--> ''[[DyingMomentOfAwesome Want to know how a human dies? At ramming speed.]]''
** The Ardat-Yakshi Rila is already half-indoctrinated and barely able to stop herself from attacking her own sister when first awakened. She regains control of herself and, while her sister is dragged away screaming, draws the attention of the approaching Banshees. As one stares into her eyes, Rila seems to be speaking to the Reapers controlling it as she detonates the bomb.
---> ''[[TakingYouWithMe We are not your slaves.]]''
** Jack, if [[spoiler:you fail to evacuate the Grissom Academy in time]] in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', will be captured by Cerberus, [[spoiler:indoctrinated, and turned into a Phantom, essentially an empty shell of herself]]. In the endgame, you can find video logs of her final day, showing that she remained defiant in her usual vulgar way until the end.
** EDI vows to do this if they can't defeat the Reapers. "I would rather become nonfunctional than help them. I want you to know I will never be a part of the Reaper forces."
** Finally, Shepard himself in the "Refusal" ending.
--->'''Shepard:''' I fight for freedom. Mine and everyone's. I fight for the right to choose our own fate. And if I die, I'll die knowing that I did everything I could to stop you. And [[IDieFree I'll die free]].
* Combined with BigDamnHeroes and HeroicSacrifice by Zero in ''VideoGame/MegaManX'', because he's that cool: In the second Vile fight, Zero went ahead to fight Vile. When X follows, he finds that Zero lost and is locked in an electric cage. An {{Unwinnable}} fight ensues. When X gets hit with Vile's paralyzer again, Zero catches Vile monologuing and breaks out, latching on to Vile's Ride Armor. He purposely overloads himself to destroy the Ride Armor, but Vile survives. X is understandably pissed and [[HeroicResolve breaks out of the paralyzer and refills]] his HitPoints, then proceeds to hand Vile his ass.
* In ''VideoGame/Persona3'' , [[LadyOfWar Mitsuru]] [[BadassBookworm Kirijo]] delivers this line to the BigBad, who is an [[spoiler:EldritchAbomination that is set on bringing TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt]]:
-->We've come this far... I WILL NOT SUBMIT!!!
* ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'':
** Contrary to the first two bosses, Kaneshiro's shadow remains smug even after the Phantom Thieves succeed in forcing his change of heart; before fading away, he taunts them with the knowledge that someone else [[spoiler:had access to the Metaverse and was using it to cause mental shutdowns for their own benefit]], and refuses to tell them that person's identity.
-->'''Shadow Kaneshiro''': ''(snicker)'' Don't even bother. You are nothing compared to them... Better be careful... A chance encounter with them could prove fatal...
** In the BadEnding [[spoiler:right up until he's shot in the head, the protagonist]] will simply glare at his assassin [[spoiler:from TheConspiracy]] in the face, rather than give him the dignity of a response.
** The protagonist gets another one near the true ending of the game when [[spoiler: the fake Igor orders his execution. Just as Caroline and Justine are about to kill him, Joker musters up enough willpower to transform into his Metaverse outfit and destroy the door on his jail cell.]] As if that wasn't badass enough, he's also able to [[HPTo1 withstand all their attacks.]]
* ''VideoGame/RedDeadRedemption2'': [[spoiler:If Arthur Morgan helps John Marston escape with low honor, Micah Bell will finish him off with his revolver. Arthur isn't fazed, calling him a fool and telling him they're not that different, before getting shot.]]
* ''VideoGame/SakuraWars2019'':
** Though Sakura Amamiya ultimately doesn't die during Xiaolong Yang's CurbStompBattle in Chapter 1, she tells him point-blank that she refuses to give up on her dreams to defend Tokyo.
** Towards the end of the game [[spoiler:Hatsuho Shinonome dies willing to stop Yaksha from killing Seijuro Kamiyama and Sakura at all costs. However, Hatsuho ultimately gets revived along with the fallen heroines shortly after Kamiyama and Sakura return from the alternate dimension]].
* {{Subverted|Trope}} or DoubleSubverted, depending on how ruthless you are in ''VideoGame/SidMeiersAlphaCentauri''. When you begin to crush a rival faction, they'll ask for a truce. If you ignore it and continue, they'll ask for a truce but also try to bribe you with cash or technologies. If you ignore that and it's certain they're going to be utterly destroyed, they'll throw themselves at your mercy and offer you an alliance and all their credits and tech as long as you spare them. If you refuse at this point, they will cut all communications with you and fight from the last ditch.
* In ''VideoGame/StarCraftIIHeartOfTheSwarm'', Kerrigan corners general Warfield, impaled on a beam and ordering his forces to retreat from the planet. He gives her a TheReasonYouSuckSpeech and orders her to let his wounded soldiers go. Kerrigan kills him when he asks what Raynor would think if he saw her now. As she is leaving, a soldier can be heard over Warfield's comlink saying that the Zerg are retreating, calling it a miracle.
* ''VideoGame/TransformersFallOfCybertron'', an injured Optimus is dragged before Megatron, and this exchange occurs:
-->'''Megatron''': No one leaves without ''my'' permission! \\
'''Optimus''': ''I wasn't asking''.
** [[spoiler:Megatron himself counts later in the same scene. If you pause in between smashing him with Meroplex's gigantic fist, Megatron will continue to fire at the skyscraper-sized Autobot even though he clearly doesn't have a hope in hell of accomplishing anything.]]
* This is how Aelia meets her untimely end in ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile'' before you recruit her as an Einherjar.
* In Episode 2 of ''[[VideoGame/TheWalkingDeadSeasonFour The Walking Dead: The Final Season]]'', when Lilly has Clem dead-to-rights during the final battle, Clem has the option of angrily telling Lilly she'll [[SeeYouInHell see her in Hell]] and doesn't mind waiting.
* ''VideoGame/Warhammer40000SpaceMarine'':
** After you finally get to fight Warboss Grimskull of the invading Ork horde and beat/slash/shoot him into a pulp, Grimskull ''still'' doesn't give up, letting out a defiant "I ain't finished with you yet, Space Marine!" Unfortunately for him, Captain Titus has had enough of this Ork invasion and says, "[[PreMortemOneLiner But I am finished with you, Ork]]," [[BoomHeadshot and blows Grimskull's head off]].
** The "Possession" series of [[CollectionSidequest logs]] shows Inquisitor Drogan's last stand against the demons. Drogan valiantly resisted interrogation, which is why the demon had to possess him to extract the information directly from his mind.
* Two from ''Videogame/WingCommander III'':
** In the introduction, [[TheDragon Prince Thrakhath]] says this of Jeanette "Angel" Devereaux after she spits in his face when gloating about the capture of her and her special forces operatives. The player doesn't see it until later in the game, but after spitting in his face he [[spoiler:disembowels her with his claws, in what the Kilrathi consider an honorable death, unlike the disintegration of the other humans.]]
** In the losing path if captured after failing to [[spoiler:destroy Kilrah]], the player is given the option for Blair to either give up and meekly accept defeat or to tell Thrakhath "screw you". [[spoiler:The former gets Blair disintegrated by guards behind him as not worthy of a "proper" Kilrathi death, while the latter earns him Angel's fate.]]
* In ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt'', the famous alchemist Kalkstein was captured by witch hunters in Novigrad as part of the anti-mage genocide conducted by King Radovid. When he was burned alive on a pyre, he cast a final spell that surrounded himself in fiery beasts that shot into the air and formed big letters in the sky. The message read: "Radovid sucks flaccid cock".
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has quite a few examples, this being a world where a LastStand is pretty common.
** Sir Zeliek is one of these. Even though he's [[PeoplePuppets technically a villain]], it's not his choice. He went down fighting and though he was raised into undeath, he ''still'' refuses to give up the belief that righteousness will prevail. [[DoomedMoralVictor Tragically,]] this is what makes him such a valuable weapon to the very evil he fought so hard since through him the Lich King can [[GoodPowersBadPeople control]] the force of [[LightIsNotGood the Holy Light]].
** Every raid boss in the game uses this trope: the most powerful abilities are employed as the boss is getting low on health. However, magnificently subverted in the Lich King encounter, where [[spoiler: Tirion shatters Frostmourne]] and the last 10% of the boss's health is the raid simply beating up the helpless boss.
** In ''Mists of Pandaria'', you have [[BloodKnight Xin the Weaponmaster]], [[YourLittleDismissiveDiminutive who condescendingly terms you puny and your efforts as pitiful.]] Should you manage to defeat him, he spits blood in your face and snorts "You call that...a fight?"
** In one of the Legion pre-patch cinematics, Gul'dan has Varian Wrynn on his knees, already impaled on several demons' swords.
--->'''Gul'dan:''' You will be remembered as the king who sacrificed his life for ''nothing''.\\
'''Varian:''' [''looks Gul'dan in the eye''] ''For the Alliance''.
** In both companion stories for ''Battle for Azeroth'' (as the two follow the same plot), a young assassin attempts to kill [[OldSoldier Saurfang]], only to be mortally wounded moments later by his target. Saurfang tries to comfort the youth in his last moments, but in a final expression of defiance, the youth refutes Saurfang's aid, using his last breath to spit on Saurfang's boots.

[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* In ''[[VideoGame/CorpseParty Corpse Party: Book of Shadows]]'', when [[spoiler: Mitsuki Yamamoto]] is fatally stabbed by [[spoiler:Yuuya Kizami]], she refuses to give her assailant the satisfaction of hearing her scream. Additionally, in one of the wrong ends, even when her leg is broken by [[spoiler:Yoshikazu Yangahori]], she refuses to go down without a fight.
-->'''[[spoiler: Kizami]]:''' My, you've gotten awfully quiet. I'd love it if you'd howl for me again!\\
'''[[spoiler: Mitsuki]]:''' ...In your...dreams...you...creep...\\
'''[[spoiler: Kizami]]:''' ...Hahh?\\
'''[[spoiler: Mitsuki]]:''' I will not...perform...for you...no matter what...
* In ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaV3KillingHarmony'', the second culprit [[spoiler:Kirumi Tojo]] absolutely refuses to accept defeat to the bitter end, spitefully votes for the PlayerCharacter to be named the culprit, and makes every attempt to escape execution.
* Shirou from ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight''. Practically every time an option like this shows up alongside an AintTooProudToBeg alternative, taking the Defiant To The End option will advance the story and avoid a BadEnd. Outside of Shirou, Rin is also a big-time adherent in this trope and continues to spit insults at people even as they've got her cornered. And then there's [[spoiler:"Heaven's Feel"]], where this trope gets subverted quite a few times for both [[spoiler:Shirou and Rin]].
* ''VisualNovel/PhantomThiefSilverCat'': Ginka in one of the bad endings, which gets her sold at a slave auction when she refuses to accept Mineko as her mistress and be her HumanPet SexSlave.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Animation]]
* Several times in ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'', the losing combatant gets out some defiant last lines or even final attack even when it becomes clear they can't win.
* When Tex makes her return after a two-year absence in ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'', she immediately starts a huge fight sequence in which [[CurbStompBattle she completely curbstomps the combined Red and Blue teams,]] including Sarge and Tucker, two characters that fans had speculated might potentially be able to match her in terms of combat skill (turns out, neither are even close). Tucker comes out as the most competent in the fight, though, and no matter how much he gets his ass kicked he just keeps making lewd comments to Tex instead of screaming or panicking like the others.
** Sarge does this to the Meta. [[spoiler: He was disguising their true plan by hiding it behind his back with one hand and somehow operating a pump-action shotgun with the other.]]
** Church does this to the Maine. [[spoiler: It's part of his HeroicSacrifice]].
** Maine does this to Tex when his and Wyoming's shenanigans during the sparring match go south.
** South does this to Wash. [[spoiler: He shoots her in the head in cold blood.]]
** Wyoming when captured by Church and Tex.
** Griff ropes Simmons into screwing with the Red firing squad they're standing in front of.
** Tucker to C.T. in the desert fight.
** The mooks to Maine when he drops in during the skyscraper assault.
** Tucker to Felix while he's bleeding out after being stabbed. [[spoiler:Justified and averted, the former because he's just blown Felix and Locus's scheme wide open, and the latter because he gets medical help before actually dying.]]
--->'''Felix:''' At the end of the day, [[TheSocialDarwinist if I'm stronger than you and if I'm faster than you, then I can kill you]]! And that's better than anything money can buy!\\
'''Tucker:''' I dunno man, I think I'd rather be rich than a fucking nut-job. [[spoiler:What do you think, Church?]]
* In Volume 5 of ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'', Adam Taurus impales [[spoiler:High Leader Sienna Khan in a coup]]. Her last act while on his sword is to reach for his throat as if to strangle him until he tosses her down a set of stairs and she dies.
** At the end of Volume 8, General Ironwood faces this situation [[spoiler: when he comes face to face with [[BigBad Salem]] and [[TheHeavy Cinder]].]] They have both the staff and the lamp relic. For much of the past two Volumes, [[FallenHero Ironwood]] has been framing much of [[KnightTemplar his actions]] as being the result his willingness to make the tough decisions and do whatever it took to defeat Salem. Ironwood raises his gun, having an opportunity to shoot either, who are not taking him seriously as a threat due to his self-destructive actions helping their cause. This is his moment to prove his own words, to at least delay the two villains now that he literally has nothing left to lose. [[spoiler: [[AvertedTrope He doesn't]], ultimately giving into [[DespairEventHorizon despair, believing they have all lost.]] The contrast is even more notable given that Yang had earlier been in a similar position, and had kept fighting to what likely would have been her bitter end, if not for Hazel's intervention.]]
* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSDfxde8fSg this animation]] by Psychic Pebbles, a nerd types the umpteenth "[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim arrow to the knee]]" joke into a Website/YouTube comment, and the Dragonborn pops out of his monitor, [[{{Irony}} kneecaps him]], and [[MakeMeWannaShout Fus Ro Dah]]s him, then tells him in [[CutHisHeartOutWithASpoon explicit detail]] how he will kill him if he ever types that joke in again. When the Dragonborn asks the nerd at the end, "Do you understand, ''YOU PUTRID FUCKING '''CUNT'''''?!?", what's the first thing the nerd says? "I used to be a putrid fucking cunt... BUT THEN I TOOK AN ARROW TO [[KilledMidSentence THE--]]"

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Thief to Black Mage in ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater'': "My only regret is that I didn't hate you ''more''."
* ''Webcomic/GirlGenius:'' The sentient train The Beast continues to hurl threats even as its brain/control unit is physically yanked from its ripped and mangled body.
** In the face of a PhysicalGod [[spoiler: Lucrezia, Wooster defies her demand for submission: [[FacingTheBulletsOneLiner "Albia... is eternal."]] He is immediately and gruesomely killed, but he died as he lived: a Queen's Man through and through.]]
* In ''Webcomic/ItsWalky'', [[spoiler: Mike]] used his last breath to hurl taunts and insults at the Martian who was killing him.
* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'': After storming off on her own, [[spoiler:Cassidy]] ends up getting caught alone by the [[BigBad Purple One]], who taunts her and ultimately [[spoiler:slashes through both of her SelfDuplication clones [[GeminiDestructionLaw at the same time]]]]. As she begins to fade away, she uses the last of her strength to stab the Purple One through the eye before disappearing completely.
* The Paladin Thanh in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' was already commited to a LastStand against [[TheDragon Redcloak]] but even when grappled he makes sure to [[https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0827.html taunt his captor one last time.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
%%* [[http://www.stickdeath.com/def2.htm This]] from ''stickdeath.com''
%%* Dante Willis from ''Literature/DantesInfanzia''.
* In the Podcast/MythsAndLegends episode on {{Doppelganger}}s, one person who sees their doppelganger tries to have their men shoot at it.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Videos]]
* In ''WebVideo/CriticalRole'' episode 26 ''Found & Lost'' [[spoiler:[[Creator/TaliesinJaffe Molly]]]] is killed in battle by [[spoiler:[[HeroKiller Lorenzo]]]]. In a last act of defiance, he [[SpitefulSpit spits]] blood in his face.
--> '''[[spoiler: Taliesin]]:''' [[DiesWideOpen Eyes never shut]].
* [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]] in {{WebVideo/EverymanHybrid}}. When [[TheSociopath HABIT]] [[spoiler: kidnaps Jeff in order to [[ColdBloodedTorture torture him to death]],]] all [[spoiler: Jeff can do before the torture begins]] is to tell HABIT is to go fuck himself. HABIT's subsequent speech makes clear that not only is this a completely worthless act, but that HABIT is the kind of sick bastard that actually enjoys (and thus actively looks forward to) hearing this.
--> '''HABIT''': "Fuck you, fuck you". Do you even know ''[[ArmorPiercingQuestion why]]'' you said that? No, no idea? Was it anger? Was it trying to get footing, trying to get leverage in this situation, trying to make me think? See, I've interrogated a lot of people, I've hurt lots of people, tortured a lot of people, I've done lots of terrible fucking things to people. [[HistoricalRapSheet I've had thousands of people, millions, billions across my tables.]] And you'd be surprised how many do that. [[ForTheEvulz One time, I had a guy's legs off, right? Hanging in front of him, and I was making them dance.]] And he said "Fuck you." He said "Go to Hell, and fuck you." You know why? 'Cause he felt "Got him! There's one punch I can throw, and that's it, a spit in the eye, a curse to the Heavens! Fuck that little bitch!" '''You know how little it matters?''' The last curses, the last desperate calls, an insult to me? When a pig squeals before it's slaughtered, do the butchers care? ''No.'' [[LovesTheSoundOfScreaming Some of them even relish it]]. [[KickTheDog So thanks.]]
* In Webvideo/MarbleHornets ''Entry #67,'' [[spoiler:Alex]] finds himself lying on the ground, tied to a chair and on the business end of a RoaringRampageOfRevenge from [[spoiler:Masky]]. Once the beating ends, [[spoiler:Hoody pulls out Alex's gun and points it at his face. Alex replies with a DeathGlare from the pits of Hell itself.]]
* In [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c66w6fVqOI ＬＯＣＡＬ５８ - Contingency]], this is what President Andrew Jackson demands of the American population ''"in the event of United States complete surrender to insurmountable enemy forces"''. Urging the people to, time and opportunity permitting, [[spoiler:lay down on their front lawns and commit suicide]] in the name of ''"preserving the memory of the United States clear and bright.... untarnished and uncompromised."'' His address ends with the phrase ''"Even in defeat, we refused to yield. Even in defeat, we claim VICTORY."''
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]
* In ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', Slug captures Wildcat and Batman and begins lowering them into a pit so they can be eaten by mutant snapping turtles. Wildcat starts insulting Slug, stinging his pride enough to make him pull Wildcat back out so they can fistfight.
* Stinkmeaner takes this trope [[ExaggeratedTrope pretty far]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheBoondocks'' (it's PlayedForLaughs). After essentially getting himself into an over-matched fight, he curses his opponent Robert repeatedly while getting beaten to death. Upon arriving in Hell, he refuses to succumb to the torture everyone else is facing and trains up to the point where even the Devil himself is amazed enough to send him back to Earth.
* ''Franchise/{{DCAU}}'':
** A scene based on ''Knightfall'', the episode introducing Bane to WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries has Bane basically curbstomping Batman with his enhanced strength, demanding that Batman begs for his life.
--->'''Bane''': Cry! ''BEG!'' '''SCREAM MY NAME!!!'''\\
'''Batman''': ''Never!''
** In ''WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries'':
--->'''Darkseid''': People of Earth - I am Darkseid, Lord of Apokolips. Here is [[{{Franchise/Superman}} your savior]]... cowed, and broken. I have crushed him as easily as I have crushed all who have dared to oppose me throughout the cosmos. I am power unlike any you have ever known: absolute, infinite, and unrelenting. You have no choice but to prepare for a long, dark future as my subjects... and my slaves.\\
''({{Beat}})''\\
'''Dan Turpin''': [[ShutUpHannibal In a pig's eye!]]
** ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', "The Terror Beyond". Even after being bound hand and foot by Icthultu, Hawkgirl has nothing but spite for the EldritchAbomination.
--->'''Ichthultu:''' Speak to me, child of Thanagar.\\
'''Hawkgirl:''' Nothing to say! I have a ''[[FlippingTheBird gesture]]'' for you, but my hands are tied.
*** The Question, when captured by Cadmus and subjected to drugs and ElectricTorture, responds by raving about nonsensical information of no practical use to anyone. ([[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation Alternately]], since this version of The Question is a wacky ConspiracyTheorist, he may really believe this is helpful information.)
--->'''Dr. Moon:''' Tell me what you know.\\
'''The Question:''' The plastic tips at the ends of shoelaces are called "[[WhatTheHeckIsAnAglet aglets]]". Their true purpose is sinister!
* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'', after the Y2K, [[HandicappedBadass Joe Swanson]]'s wheelchair gets melted into the curb, leaving him completely immobilised. A giant mutated rat turns up and looks like it's going to eat him. Joe's response? "[[BringIt BRING IT ON!!]]" [[spoiler:He turns up again alive and well later in the episode, implying he was able to kill or at least fight the thing off.]]
* ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'': When beaten down and about to be slain by [[spoiler:Bolo and Mooncake]], [[Characters/FinalSpaceCelestialEntities the Titan Oreskis]] simply spits a glob of blood and readies himself for a last stand.
-->'''Oreskis:''' Bring it!
* ''WesternAnimation/GodzillaTheSeries'': In the episode "Future Shock", we learn that Godzilla did this [[OffScreenMomentOfAwesome at some point before HEAT arrives]] in the BadFuture version of 2028 in an attempt to [[DyingMomentofAwesome protect the last few million humans from a race of genetically engineered monsters called the Dragmas.]] He '''''[[HeroicSacrifice SUCCEEDED]]'''''. To top it off, it's implied he also [[TakingYouWithMe did]] ''[[TakingYouWithMe NOT]]'' [[TakingYouWithMe go down]] ''[[TakingYouWithMe alone.]]'' Crosses into both heartwarming and sad when we are told all of this after being shown his '''''Memorial Statue'''''....
* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': In "Weirdmaggedon: Part 1", [[spoiler: [[WalkingSpoiler Ford Pines]]]] claims he rather choose to die before joining [[BigBad Bill Cipher]] and his gang.
** In "Weirdmaggedon: Part 3," the [[spoiler: non-Pines members of the Zodiac]] do this. Bill Cipher has essentially become a PhysicalGod at this point, able to [[RealityWarper warp all of reality]] however he sees fit, and they ''still'' tell him that they're not scared of his power, taking up whatever weapons they have to attack him. Unfortunately, he [[AndIMustScream traps them all in tapestries]] before they can act, but they still went down fighting.
* [[spoiler:Lin Beifong]] in ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' is a non-fatal example. When captured Amon tells her to give up Korra's location and he will allow her to keep her bending. The only thing she says is that he's getting nothing from her and then quietly accepts her fate.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLongLongHoliday,'' [[spoiler:[[RebelLeader Mr. Herbin]]]] is gunned down by the Germans while yelling "Viva la France!"
* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls1998'', some defeated villains join in laughing at the girls when they are embarrassed publicly by the Professor.
* Happens quite a bit in ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'' whenever Megabyte has the upper hand. He {{lampshade|Hanging}}s it in season 3 when confronted by a grown-up Enzo Matrix: "Where's that annoying chatter of yours? Mega Breath this and Mega Both that!"
** In the same season, in the last few episodes Megabyte has captured Mainframe's principal office and removed Phong's head from his body, keeping him alive just to get the portal command codes. He has to use an extraction device, as Phong refuses to cooperate.
--->'''Phong''': I will fight you... to the last... ''virus''.
* In one ''WesternAnimation/RobotChicken'' sketch, Franchise/{{Batman}} finally just decides to have [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]] executed for his crimes. At the police station, the latter yells "Fuck you, Dork Knight!" as he's electrocuted to death.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Bart Simpson in the episode "Bart the Murderer". After he had accidentally ended up in the Springfield mafia's turf, he was taken and interrogated by them, believing that he was a spy. He answered their questions with "eat my shorts" and "don't have a cow". In this case, Bart's insults and tough guy act actually impresses the mafia, convincing them to give him a job as a bartender.
** It also helped that "Don't Have A Cow" and "Eat My Shorts" were the names of racehorses. And that Don't Have A Cow won that day's race, beating out Cowabunga and Yabba-Dabba-Doo.
* In ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs The Smurfs Springtime Special]]'', Gargamel's much-crueler godfather Balthazar tries to use his "magic wand of the future" (his term for a musket) on the Smurfs. He misses them, but hits their pet duck, much to the Smurfs' terror. Then:
-->'''Balthazar:''' Here me Smurfs and hear me well! [[LargeHam I am Balthazar, master wizard!]] ''(Smurfs look at him with pure hate)'' Surrender six of your own or you will pay dearly!\\
'''Hefty Smurf:''' Here's our answer, Balthazar! ''(Throws a snowball at him.)''\\
'''Clumsy Smurf:''' Yeah, and here's mine! ''(Does the same)''\\\
The Smurfs all decide to charge him as he prepares to fire again, [[spoiler: but luckily, the noise from the first shot woke up a slumbering bear, which is pretty angry; it chases the villains away.]]
* Princess Sally in the third episode of ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM''. When she was captured by Dr. Robotnik, he demanded her to tell where Knothole is located. Sally's response: "Sure I will. When you get a life."
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'': In [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E14LegacyOfMandalore "Legacy of Mandalore"]], even with [[spoiler:two lightsabers (Ezra's and the Darksaber) scissored at his neck, and missing several fingers, Gar Saxon]] refuses to surrender, and would rather die. When [[spoiler:Sabine]] refuses to kill him, he tries to shoot her and gets shot himself.
* In ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2003'', Splinter's master Hamato Yoshi was ambushed by the Shredder's men, unarmed, and outnumbered by more than ten to one, but he still wouldn't go down without a fight. And even though he ''did'' go down, he was willing to die before he told the Shredder anything, and his last words to the villain were to insult him, saying, "He who lives without honor will die without honor."
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' has Cyborg, dismembered and completely at the mercy of Brother Blood, giving Brother Blood a CurseCutShort.
** This is the standard for all the Titans. But in "Haunted", when Robin is being [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown beaten to an inch of death]] by Slade [[spoiler:or so he thought]] to the point that Robin doesn't even have the strength to ''stand'' anymore, he finally begs Slade to stop and it's one of the most disturbing scenes in the series.
* {{Inverted|Trope}} in ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'' when one of a pair of {{lizard|Folk}}s, stuck in the {{stock|Punishment}}s, snaps at his [[AintTooProudToBeg groveling]] companion not to expect mercy from their captors, and angrily gives heroic {{Catfolk}} Prince Lion-O an earful about his {{motive|Rant}}s for stealing the Cats' crops that metastasizes into a ScrewYouElves speech, despite the very real threat of death for confronting the prince of the race who enslaved him. Lion-O's response is to defend the prisoners against an AngryMob of CatFolk and successfully [[PleaseSpareHimMyLiege plead with his father]] for their release.
* Perhaps one of the best examples of this in ''WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}}'' is when Nerissa has captured Hay Lin's grandmother, who was likewise a member of CHYKN, the previous group of guardians. No matter what Nerissa offers her (because she needs Grandma Lin to complete CHYKN once more) she refuses, and she's quite sassy for an old, nearly powerless woman. [[spoiler: (Nerissa winds up creating an astral drop of younger grandma Lin since the real one won't cooperate.)]]
* ''WesternAnimation/WanderOverYonder'': Near the end of "The Bot", Bot 13/Beep-Boop returns to Lord Dominator's headquarters with the coordinates to the planet he had scouted out earlier and is just about to give them to her...but thanks to a HeelFaceTurn by [[AllLovingHero Wander]], he denies her access. When she furiously demands Bot 13 to display the coordinates, threatening to have him destroyed if he defies her, what does he do? [[spoiler: He corrects her that [[DoNotCallMePaul his name is Beep-Boop]] and deletes the coordinates from his memory right in front of her! This, of course, leads to a HeroicSacrifice on his part as he is ThrownOutTheAirlock...]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]

* The Battle of Thermopylae is the most famous example of this trope. King Leonidas and the other Spartans of Thermopylae knew the odds were stacked against them, but maintained their position even after being outflanked.
* Early (1st-3rd Century) Christian martyrs in Rome were like this. The same thing applied to a lot of Protestants killed in the Inquisition, often continuing to preach even while they were being burned at the stake.
** Likewise, a good number of the people killed in witch trials remained this way, too.
** In fact, martyrs in general. Grandfather 'em all, regardless of religion. Special mention: St. Lawrence was captured and ''roasted alive''. His response? ''"Turn me over, I think this side is done."'' For this, he has become the Patron Saint of Comedians. And chefs.
* During the Salem Witch Trials, suspected witches were subjected to public pressure to plead either guilty or not guilty, so the court hearing could commence (which inevitably led to more names being given to the crowd, keeping the cycle going endlessly). When people refused to enter a plea, a more literal form of pressure was used--a horrific punishment calling "pressing," wherein the accused was placed under a wooden plank, with rocks placed on top to slowly suffocate the victim (more on it ([[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crushing_(execution) here]]). When [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giles_Corey Giles Corey]] was accused, he refused to plead either guilty or not guilty, knowing [[MortonsFork he was more than likely to be found guilty and executed no matter what he said]]. After the pressing began, the judges repeatedly demanded his plea, but he said only two words over and over: "More weight." Keep in mind that his lungs were being squeezed to the point where he could no longer inhale, and he still refused to surrender. Though the torture killed him, Corey had the last laugh: his trial never officially commenced and he was thus able to die in full possession of his estate which would otherwise have been forfeited to the government had he been found guilty. It was also such an incredibly ugly death that the trials ended soon after.
** The song about ''[[http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/susannamartin.html Susanna Martin]]'', one of the victims of the Salem trials, ends by saying that "Still in scorn, she faced the rope/her comely head held high".
* Russian partisan girl Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, caught by Nazis and cruelly tortured before execution, said from under the gallows:
-->[[WeAreEverywhere There are millions of Russians. You cannot hang us all]].
* UsefulNotes/CheGuevara.
-->I know you have come to kill. Kill me if you wish, coward, but know that [[YouCannotKillAnIdea you can only kill a man]].
* UsefulNotes/SaddamHussein, according to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_of_Saddam_Hussein#Proceedings this account]].
* The French Foreign Legion's reputation was first established at the Battle of Camaron when 65 men fought a force of two thousand Mexicans. When they eventually ran out of ammunition, the last five men ''mounted a bayonet charge''. Beaten to the ground, the two survivors were offered one last chance to surrender. Their response? They demanded the right to keep their weapons and escort their commanding officer's body home. The Mexican commander agreed to their terms. It seemed churlish to refuse. Many years later, the Mexican government erected a monument [[WorthyOpponent in memory of the French soldiers, and every year holds a parade to commemorate their last stand.]]
* Michel Ney, one of Napoleon's generals, was sentenced to death by firing squad but was offered a LastRequest for his service to the emperor. His choice? He wanted to ''give his own execution order.'' And damned if he didn't do it:
-->Soldiers, when I give the command to fire, fire straight at my heart. Wait for the order. It will be my last to you. I protest against my condemnation. I have fought a hundred battles for France, and not one against her... Soldiers! Fire!
* During the Spanish Civil War, the Republicans captured the son of José Moscardó e Ituarte, the Nationalist commandant during the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Alcazar Siege of the Alcázar.]] The Republican forces called Moscardó on the telephone, and [[IHaveYourWife demanded he surrender or they would kill his son.]] Moscardó asked to speak to his son, who he told; [[ScrewYourUltimatum "Commend your soul to God and die like a patriot,]] shouting [[SayYourPrayers 'Long live Christ King']] and 'Long live Spain.'" His son's reply? "That, I can do."
* This is something of an Iberian tradition. In 1296, Muslims were laying siege to the Castilian town of Tarifa; they took prisoner the son of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alonso_P%C3%A9rez_de_Guzm%C3%A1n Alonso Pérez de Guzmán]], the Christian nobleman in charge of the defense, and threatened to kill his son if he didn't surrender. Dad's response? To throw down a knife from the battlements for them to kill his son with. ''[[HeirClubForMen This was his only son]]''. To this day, said nobleman is known as ''Guzmán el Bueno'' and is an important figure in Spanish history. It's very likely that Moscardó had him at least partly in mind.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amon_Goeth Amon Goeth]], a concentration camp commander and war criminal faced his death with utter indifference and serenity. His last words were "Heil Hitler".
* In 1809, during the Second Siege of Saragossa and at a point where the French had gained undeniable superiority, having even taken parts of the city, French general Verdier sent a message to the Spaniard's defending military demanding the surrender of the city, stating simply «Paz y capitulación.» ("Peace and surrender."). General Palafox's answer? «Guerra y cuchillo.» ("War and knife.").
* When the British were surrounded at Arnhem during [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Operation Market Garden]], the Germans "offered to discuss surrender terms." British commander Lt.-Col. John Frost's reply: "[[BadassBoast I'm afraid we don't have the numbers to take all of your lot prisoner, old boy.]] [[StiffUpperLip Was there anything else?]]"
** Similarly, when the American 101st Airborne was surrounded by Germans in the city of Bastogne, the Germans sent a letter offering them the chance to surrender. The reply from Brigadier General Anthony [=McAuliffe=] has since become a legend within the American military: "To the German Commander: NUTS! Signed, the American Commander". [=McAuliffe=] [[GoshDangItToHeck substituted]] it for "go to hell" since he refrained from using profane language as a rule.[[note]]Initially, [=McAuliffe=] thought the Germans were offering to surrender to him and exclaimed "Aw, nuts!" when realizing that they wanted him to surrender. When [=McAuliffe=] and his staff were trying to decide how to word their refusal, Colonel Harry Kinnard suggested that his initial response summed it up pretty well. Colonel Joseph Harper then typed out the response and gave it to the German delegation, and when they were confused as to its meaning he "translated" it as "go to hell."[[/note]]
* The nineteen-year-old soldier Private Yevgeny Rodionov of the Russian Army. When he, along with three other Russian soldiers, got captured by Chechen Islamists during the First Chechen War, he suffered torture for several days because he refused to renounce his Christian faith and convert to Islam as demanded by the Islamists. Even when he was threatened with an army knife, he still refused to give up his faith, which got his throat slit by the said knife. Due to his defiance, he has become a sort of national hero in Russia, and many people even demand that he should be canonized to sainthood.
** Though one of the reasons he was not made a saint is that the Russian Orthodox church doubted the story was fiction on part of his mother. The corroborating testimony was [[ColdBloodedTorture "extracted"]] from captured Chechens after the story already started making the rounds.
** That being said, there have been many Christians killed in the Middle East by extremists trying to wipe out all religions besides Islam. Stories abound with conservative Muslims [[HoistByHisOwnPetard converting to Christianity]] upon seeing the extremists' brutality and the martyrs' convictions.
* UsefulNotes/BenitoMussolini, as he faced an execution squad of the Italian Resistance:
-->Shoot me in the chest!
* Britain in UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Churchill's famous speeches are a long manifesto detailing just how Britain would not surrender:
-->'''Churchill:''' We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!
** [[UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill "In War: Resolution. In Defeat: Defiance. In Victory: Magnanimity. In Peace: Goodwill."]]
* When [[Creator/{{Cicero}} Marcus Tullius Cicero]] was captured by assassins sent after him by Mark Antony, he told one of them: "There is nothing proper about what you are going to do, but do it properly."
* Private John Moyse (or Moyes) of the British Army was captured by the Chinese during the Second Opium War. He was executed when he refused to bow down to a Chinese general. The incident became the subject of a poem, "The Private of the Buffs" by Sir Francis Hastings Doyle.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stjepan_Filipović Stjepan Filipovic]], a Croatian/Yugoslav Partisan during WWII used his last breath before being hanged by Serbian Nazi collaborators to shout "Death to fascism, freedom to the people!" (It would later become the rallying cry for all of Yugoslavia.) The photo taken seconds before being hanged practically defines this trope.
* Norwegian resistance men. A certain group was set before a firing squad, ready to be executed. History tells they defiantly sung their national anthem until the bullets hit them.
* Most of the Norwegian society shared this opinion in [[UsefulNotes/NorwegianConstituentAssembly 1814]] when they knew they were sold out to Sweden in an international bargain. This defiance paid off in a written constitution, and later on, even more defiance secured them their sovereign right to rule themselves inside a loose union with Sweden. The awesomeness in this hangs on the fact that the Swedes time and again were willing to use military force against them. In one crucial situation, the speaker of parliament had this information handed to him in a secret letter ("Do as we wish or risk another war"). His reaction: to burn the letter, never mentioning it, and voting ''against'' the Swedish demands, securing a majority in parliament. Defiant indeed. For the sake of good will, the Swedes grudgingly accepted it (and were more than a little impressed).
** During the Norwegian-Swedish war in 1814, the fortress of Halden stood its ground against Swedish attacks for two weeks without surrendering. This fortress surrendered only ''after'' the official capitulation, and the Swedish command honored the Norwegian soldiers for their defiance.
* Several members of the notorious Thuggee cult in India (who killed their victims via strangulation) who were sentenced to die by hanging, actually leapt from the scaffold after the noose had been fitted around their necks, not only to show defiance but to prove, at least symbolically, that they were masters of killing by such a method.
* Fabrizio Quattrocchi was an Italian security guard working in Iraq. In 2004, he was captured by terrorists who forced him to dig his own grave and kneel beside it wearing a hood as they prepared to film his death. Before they executed him, [[DyingMomentOfAwesome he defied them by trying to pull off his hood and shouting: "I'll show you how an Italian dies!"]].
* Gratien Fernando, the leader of the Cocos Islands Mutiny against the British authority on Sri Lanka. He was a Sri Lankan man who joined the Ceylon colonial forces due to his anti-fascist idealism, in hopes that he would fight against the Japanese, but he became disillusioned when he and other natives were victims of British discrimination. Inspired by the Japanese-supported resistance movements in Burma and Indonesia, he and other Sri Lankan soldiers started a mutiny against the colonial authority but it was crushed and Fernando was taken prisoner and executed. His last words were: "Loyalty to a country under the heel of a white man is disloyalty".
* Different historical accounts of the UsefulNotes/JohnFKennedy assassination indicated that his killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, refused to admit his acts, even as he lay dying (after himself being shot by Jack Ruby) in the garage of the Dallas Police Station. (Although one interpretation, where an officer asked the badly wounded Oswald if he'd like to make a statement and he simply nodded his head "no" as he moaned in pain, could be that he was entering shock.)
* Media accounts published at the time of Timothy [=McVeigh's=] execution (for masterminding the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing) noted that [=McVeigh=] -- after he was placed inside the death chamber -- that his face was one of defiance, even as the drugs took effect, and he smirked and held an evil expression until he finally lost consciousness.
* SerialKiller John Wayne Gacy's last words before facing execution were "Kiss my ass! You'll never find the rest!"
* The last words of [[UsefulNotes/PunicWars Hannibal Barca]] after the Roman legions that had been chasing him for years were finally within striking distance, which prompted Hannibal to [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled take poison]] rather than let himself be captured and paraded back to Rome before being executed, were "Let us relieve the Romans from the anxiety they have so long experienced, [[TakeThat since they think it tries their patience too much to wait for an old man's death]]."
* During UsefulNotes/TheFallOfConstantinople, the last [[UsefulNotes/ByzantineEmpire Byzantine Emperor]] Constantine XI was told to surrender the city to the besieging Ottomans or face death along with the rest of the defenders. Knowing the hopelessness of the situation, his response was this: "Giving you the city depends neither on me nor on anyone else among its inhabitants; as we have all decided to die with our own free will and we shall not consider our lives." When Ottoman flags were seen flying over the postern gates of the city and Byzantine defences crumbled Constantine reportedly led a final, doomed charge against the invaders, dying in the streets with his soldiers. Suffice to say, he did [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire his ancestors proud]].

* Nelson Mandela never gave in, even when he thought he was about to be executed for planning [=uMkhonte we Sizwe=]'s armed campaign, even when he was told he would never leave the hellish Robben Island prison, even when he learned his son had died while he was imprisoned, and in the end it paid off for him. The most noted example of his determination was at the Rivonia Trial, when everyone thought he would be given the death penalty, he stood in the dock and gave his three-hour speech in which he set out his motivations, his ideology, and his vision of the just and free society he would eventually try to create when he was finally released:
-->"During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realised. '''But, My Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.'''"
** As he delivered the final line, he looked Judge Quartus de Wet straight in the eye, an action which Mandela later credited with saving his life, as he felt that, directly dared to order his execution, de Wet didn't have enough ice in his veins to go through with it.
* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Hale Nathan Hale]] was a 21-year-old soldier for the [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution Continental Army]]. He volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in British-occupied New York and was captured. His last words before being hanged are considered some of the most inspirational in American history, and have been used as a rallying cry for over two centuries:
-->"I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country."
* Irma Grese, "the Hyena of Auschwitz". A sadistic and perverted concentration camp guardian who had tortured and murdered scores of prisoners and was believed to be the inspiration for the film ''Isla: She-Wolf Of The SS'', she was sentenced to death by hanging after WWII. Her last word to her executioner, Albert Pierrepoint, was ''Schnell'' (literally "Speed!", meaning "Have speed with it!"); in our terms, she basically said "Hurry". Grese died as a truly unrepentant Nazi.
* In 1968, Alexander Dubček of the government of Communist Czechoslovakia announced a period of political liberalization and reform, granting the citizens freedom of speech, movement, and travel, raising the possibility of a mixed economy and even multiparty politics. This was known as "socialism with a human face". The USSR didn't like that. Not one bit. So on 21st August 1968, they and their allies invaded Czechoslovakia and installed a new puppet government to roll back Dubček's reforms and return to socialism ''sans'' human face. Dubček and 25 other senior reformers were kidnapped, taken to Moscow, and made to sign a humiliating "Protocol" rolling back the reforms. Only one man refused, František Kriegel, a politician-doctor who had served in the Spanish Civil War:
-->"Send me to Siberia or shoot me dead."
* [[UsefulNotes/RichardIII Richard III of England]]. He was the last English king to die in battle. Despite suffering from scoliosis, an extremely painful condition that causes curvature of the spine (these days it's usually fixed by getting the sufferer to wear a back brace, usually from an early age, but in the 15th century there was nothing to counter it), he didn't go down without a fight; he even managed to unhorse one of Henry Tudor's bodyguards and came close to actually killing Henry.
* Several examples pertaining to Nazi Germany:
** A non-deadly but still depressing example: The Nazis did not take power unopposed. In the final vote that would give Hitler the power to make laws on his own (thereby eliminating the last legal barrier to his total control), the communists had already been rounded up and sent to prison or worse. The parties of the center-right had made deals with the Nazis (or so they hoped). The last party that wanted to say something against Hitler and was still present to do so were the social democrats. Otto Wels (1873-1939 in exile in Paris) held a speech culminating in the words "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmhB6D1_AIc They can take our freedom and our lives. But they cannot take our honor]]". Given what happened next, this took guts.
** During the Night of the Long Knives, a 1934 Nazi purge to eliminate those viewed as obstacles of the new regime, SA leader Ernst Röhm was given the opportunity to kill himself in custody. His response was to declare that if Hitler wanted him dead, he could do it himself. After he said this, his guards left, and when they returned, they saw him standing in his cell with his bare chest puffed out.
** When Paris was fully occupied during WWII, the French destroyed the elevator to the Eiffel Tower, for the sole purpose of making life difficult for the Nazis if they decided to raise their flag on the tower. Without an elevator, the Nazis would have to climb hundreds of stairs.
** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannie_Schaft Hannie Schaft]], The Girl With the Red Hair. A member of a Dutch resistance movement who orchestrated many assassinations and sabotage efforts against the Germans, she was eventually caught and shot. As the story goes, two soldiers were tasked in doing so, but the first only wounded her, despite shooting at close range. Supposedly, she told him, "I shoot better than you," before she was killed by his partner.
** During the Battle of Berlin, Hitler chose to make a LastStand rather than surrender the city to the Soviets, even when most other Germans thought it unnecessary.
** Most of the Nazis who were handed the death penalty at Nuremberg actually chose to FaceDeathWithDignity, some of them even openly expressing regret for their actions during the war. One pointed exception was Julius Streicher, the owner and editor-in-chief of the Nazi Party's official newspaper, ''Der Stürmer'', who went up to the scaffold shouting obscenities, anti-Semitic slurs, and claiming that the Allies would one day be themselves conquered by the Soviets. As the kicker, Streicher's attempts to break free of the noose moved it out of the intended position, meaning that instead of suffering instant death via a broken neck, he died a much slower death from strangulation.
* When Queen Mary I had Thomas Cranmer burned at the stake for heresy, he said his only regret was that he signed six recantations of his Protestant faith, going so far as to personally put his right hand into the torch that served as the instrument of his execution to punish ''it'' for signing those recantations in the first place. He didn't just take his martyrdom for his Protestant beliefs at the hands of Bloody Mary, he ''owned'' it, helping the popularity of the Protestant movement grow in the aftermath of his death.
* Pretty much the MO of [[UsefulNotes/KatanasOfTheRisingSun Japanese forces]] during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. There's a pretty good reason why there were much fewer prisoners taken in by the Allies, as they preferred death before surrender. This attitude actually triggered a GodzillaThreshold: given an invasion of the Japanese mainland would almost certainly result in the aforesaid taken much further (meaning any plan they had for a conventional invasion predicted mass casualties), the Americans instead decided to resort to a couple of atomic bombs in hopes the Japanese would see overwhelming force as a reason to stop.[[note]]Some would argue the atomic bombs weren't the main reason for the surrender but the threat of the Soviets invading Japan. As determined as the Japanese were, the Soviets could easily ZergRush them and leave nothing in their wake; defiance would be meaningless—no one would be around to remember it. Some people have even argued that despite the horrors the Atomic bombs unleashed, considering the revelations relating to Soviet war crimes that emerged after the fall of the USSR, the nukes may have actually ''saved'' more people than if the Russians managed to reach the Japanese main islands...[[/note]]
* A downplayed example, but UsefulNotes/CatherineOfAragon, UsefulNotes/HenryVIII's first wife, could be seen as an example of this. After her marriage to Henry was annulled against her will, she was referred to as Princess Dowager (in reference to her being the widow to Henry's brother Prince Arthur - a marriage she firmly claimed was not consummated) but refused to accept this. On her deathbed, she wrote a final letter to her former husband and signed it as ‘Catherine the Queen’.
* In 1834, Moroccan Jewish teenager Sol Hauchel was falsely accused of converting to Islam. Brought before the Muslim governor for ludicrous charges of heresy, she was offered wealth and privilege if she accepted conversion, [[SoBeautifulItsACurse apparently because her beauty was legendary among both Jews and Muslims]], or face imprisonment and torture. She responded:
--> I will patiently bear the weight of your chains; I will give my limbs to be torn piece-meal by wild beasts; I will renounce forever the light of day: I will perish of hunger: and when all the evils of life are accumulated on me by your orders, I will smile at your indignation, and the anger of your Prophet: since neither he nor you have been able to overcome a weak female! It is clear that Heaven is not auspicious to making proselytes your faith.
** Eventually she was locked up and isolated. But even then, she refused conversion, [[HonorBeforeReason even when other Jewish leaders were begging her to convert]], but she was beheaded as an apostate. The Muslims themselves were also hesitant to kill her and gave her several chances too - the governor allegedly instructed the executor to strike her lightly first in hopes that seeing her own blood would frighten her into accepting conversion. She earned the nickname "The Righteous Sol".
* During World War II, the British armed merchant cruiser (a passenger ship converted into a light warship to raid enemy shipping) ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Rawalpindi HMS Rawalpindi]]'' bit off more than it could chew when it investigated some sightings and found itself staring down the gun barrels of the powerful German battlecruisers ''Scharnhorst'' and ''Gneisenau''. Despite being ''incomprehensibly'' outgunned, they refused German demands to surrender and attacked instead, scoring one damaging hit on ''Scharnhorst'' before going down. Before his suicidal attack, Captain Edward Kennedy was heard to declare "We’ll fight them both, they’ll sink us, and that will be that. Good-bye."
* Father Jacques Hamel was a Catholic priest in Normandy who was murdered in 2016 when his church was attacked by Islamic terrorists. His last words he said to his attackers were "Be gone, Satan!"
* Emiliano Zapata (later quoted by Music/MidnightOil):
-->It's better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.
* Two Governors of Hà Nội [[note]]technically Hà Ninh, comprising of Hà Nội and Ninh Bình[[/note]] went out this way during the French takeover.
** Nguyễn Tri Phương was wounded and captured at the end of a horrific CurbStompBattle (the only French casualty was one soldier shot by FriendlyFire). He received French medical attention but refused any further care. He went on a hunger strike that lasted one month and resulted in his death at the age of 73, reasoning that "Now, miserably lingering on through life is no replacement for dying peacefully for a cause."
** His replacement Hoàng Diệu commanded a battle that almost ended in Vietnamese victory, until the gunpowder reserves blew up, killing, wounding, distracting, and demoralizing the forces. He kept fighting until defeat was imminent, then ordered the forces to scatter. He went into the palace, bit his finger, and wrote [[CouldntFindAPen a letter to the Emperor Tự Đức in blood]], then hanged himself with his own turban in front of the Temple of Martial Arts.
-->The citadel is irretrievably lost, I am ashamed to face the people and gentlemen of the North. It is no hardship for myself to die, I pledge to follow Nguyễn Tri Phương into the earth. Your Majesty is leagues away, we weep tears of blood for you...
* This attitude allowed the early [[UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire Roman Republic]] to survive and grow into an empire. Despite being utterly crushed in battle by King Pyrrhus of Epirus, the senate voted to continue the war rather than sue for peace. This less to them being crushed ''again'' in a second battle with Pyrrhus. Yet despite all expectations the senate again voted to continue fighting. When Pyrrhus realised that the Romans would never surrender and with his forces heavily depleted by the previous battles, he had no choice but to return home, becoming the TropeCodifier and TropeNamer for PyrrhicVictory.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neerja_Bhanot Neerja Bhanot]] was a flight attendant on the ill-fated Pan Am Flight 73, which was hijacked by terrorists during a routine stop. Despite constant threats and a siege that lasted seventeen hours, she refused to respond to any of their demands. When they first entered the plane, Bhanot alerted the pilots, who were able to escape (thus completely derailing the terrorists' plan). The hijackers then commanded Bhanot to gather all of the passengers' passports so they could find any Americans on board, as they were viewed as higher-priority targets; instead, Bhanot and her crew collected the passports and hid them. Finally, the hijackers lost patience and started setting off explosives while firing their guns. Bhanot ''still'' refused to give in, opened the emergency doors, and started escorting the passengers, especially children, to safety. The terrorists were eventually forced to drag Bhanot away from the others and shoot her point-blank, as nothing short of that would keep her from saving lives. For her bravery, courage, and refusal to capitulate, Bhanot was posthumously awarded India's highest peacetime honor, other international accolades, and a place in history as "the heroine of the hijacking."
* When Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and his wife Elena were executed in 1989, they refused to go quietly. As they were put before the firing squad, Elena screamed profanities at her executioners while Nicolae sang "The Internationale".
* Shortly before he was hanged, SerialKiller Carl Panzram was asked if he had any last words. His response: "Yes, hurry it up, you Hoosier bastard! I could kill a dozen men while you're screwing around!"
* The Battle of Shiroyama during the Satsuma rebellion is a good example of this trope. Saigo Takamori, mastermind of the rebellion, was offered the chance to surrender by the more numerous, better armed, and arguably better trained Imperial Japanese Army, but refused, however, he and the other remaining samurai chose to fight, while they had some initial success after forcing a melee fight with a line infantry unit, Takamori committed suicide after being mortally wounded. His second in command, realizing the Imperial forces had reorganized and his own were out of ammunition, charged down the hill along with his remaining men who were all cut down by the modern Imperial infantry.
* Upon being ordered to surrender by the Russian warship ''Moskva'' during the opening hours of the 2022 Invasion of Ukraine, the defenders of Snake Island replied , "Russian warship, Go [[PrecisionFStrike fuck]] yourself!" The island was captured and the soldiers of Snake Island were initially reported dead but were later found to be alive as [=POWs=]; the island itself was recaptured later. On the other hand, the ''Moskva'' was sunk by Ukranian anti-ship missiles several months later.
[[/folder]]

* The ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' TV special ''A Solitary Final Battle ~The Father of Z-Warrior Kakarrot, who Challenged Freeza~'' (Known as ''Bardock: The Father of Goku'' in English) features Bardock, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Goku's father who challenged Freeza]] in a futile attempt to change the fate of the Saiyans.
** In ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', when Zamasu is grabbed by Beerus and about to be disintegrated by him, he simply shoots a DeathGlare to the God Of Destruction. Considering that most other villains would have suffered any form of VillainousBreakdown by now, that's quite an achievement.