History Main / DesecratingTheDead

May overlap with WhatTheHellHero (if the good guys do this and are called out on it), CreepySouvenir (when a part of the corpse is kept as a trophy), DeadGuyOnDisplay (when the corpse is displayed publicly, whether mistreated or not), or LastDisrespects (when the abuse happens at the funeral). [[ImAHumanitarian Eating bits of someone's corpse]] is a particularly nasty way to desecrate their body: in places which don't have laws specifically forbidding cannibalism, cannibals are tried under desecration of a body. An extremely mild version of corpse abuse might be the SpitefulSpit.

* The episode of ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'' pitting [[Franchise/{{Halo}} Master Chief]] against the [[VideoGame/{{Doom}} Doomguy]] ends with [[spoiler:Master Chief teabagging his enemy's corpse.]]

* Taken UpToEleven by Vaarsuvius in ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''. After killing a black dragon [[spoiler:for threatening the elf's family]], Vaarsuvius animates its head as an undead, [[spoiler:targets it with an epic spell that kills its bloodline and all of its extended relatives, taunts it for its failure]], and then disintegrates it.

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* In ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventure'', Dio desecrates Jonathan Joestar's body by severing Jonathan's head and attaching his own so he can claim it for himself. Supplementary materials reveal that Dio actually felt conflicted over doing this to [[WorthyOpponent one of the only people he ever respected]].
* Walter cements his FaceHeelTurn in ''{{Manga/Hellsing}}'' in [[KickTheDog truly despicable fashion]] by doing this to Anderson, who had just received a send-off worthy of a WorthyOpponent, by treading on his ashes and then calling him "garbage". This was enough to send Yumie, one of Anderson's most loyal subordinates, into an utter fury that got her sliced apart, as well as utterly eradicate any respect that Alucard may have had for him.

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** [[spoiler:Incubus]] performed an interesting example of this trope: Their teacher was a Cynic philosopher and wanted their body dealt with in the same way as Diogenes (to whit, letting wild dogs eat the corpse). So when said master died, [[spoiler:Incubus]] did exactly that; chopped the body in pieces and feeding it to dogs. Whether they did it as an intentional desecration, being too LiteralMinded in their master's teachings or as a genuine mark of respect is left up in the air, though their fellow student [[spoiler:Maya]] clearly views it as the first [[spoiler:especially since Incubus ''killed'' said master]].

* In ''VisualNovel/DanganronpaTriggerHappyHavoc'', Monokuma considers doing this to Sakura's body after he found out she broke down the door to an important room the students weren't supposed to see before she died.

** If not, it's likely a morally gray moment (when it's arguably necessary or deserved) or sign of an approaching IfYouKillHimYouWillBeJustLikeHim-type MoralEventHorizon (when it [[DisproportionateRetribution definitely isn't]]). To keep them heroic, they can be disturbed by their own actions and look for a way to [[TheAtoner make up for it]].

* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' has an example in "Trials and Tribulations" involving Dahlia Hawthorne's spirit, as Phoenix Wright and Mia Fey (who is using Pearl's body) taunt and mock her about her failed crimes in order for her [[VillainousBreakdown to get out of Maya Fey's body]]. Dahlia must then spend the rest of her time in the afterlife to forever think about these failures, especially since Mia took great glee in pouring salt on Dahlia's wounds.

* In ''VisualNovel/Danganronpa2GoodbyeDespair'' after Mikan Tsumiki kills Hiyoko Saionji, who had been [[TheBully bullying her]] ever since they met (although this is not the reason why she kills her), Mikan ties the knot of Hiyoko's obi to the front of her kimono, which was how prostitutes used to wear their kimono to differentiate them from geisha, as it makes it easier to take them on and off. Mikan is non-verbally calling Hiyoko a whore.

* In ''{{ComicBook/Birthright}}'', [[DarkActionGirl Kallista]] does this to [[spoiler:Kylen]] after he is killed by Mikey, by [[PeoplePuppets possessing his corpse]] and using it to tear itself apart.

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* In ''WesternAnimation/VentureBrothers'', Brock Sampson is attacked by an Egyptian mummy. After beating the crap out of it, he pisses on it, saying that the mummy must be completely desecrated or else it'll just come back to life again.

* A pragmatic variation occurs in ''Film/TheUntouchables'', when the eponymous squad has captured a Capone henchman and is trying to get him to talk about Capone's finances. When the henchman refuses to talk, Malone wanders outside, grabs the corpse of a {{Mook}} killed in the preceding gunfight, and after pretending to threaten to kill him if he won't talk, shoots the corpse through the head, spattering the henchman with gore. The henchman, believing he'd witnessed an actual execution, is ''very'' cooperative afterwards.

May overlap with WhatTheHellHero (if the good guys do this and are called out on it), CreepySouvenir (when a part of the corpse is kept as a trophy), DeadGuyOnDisplay (when the corpse is displayed publicly, whether mistreated or not), or LastDisrespects (when the abuse happens at the funeral). An extremely mild version of corpse abuse might be the SpitefulSpit.

* In ''Literature/TheBelgariad'', Urgit (the king of Chtol Murgos) mentions having personally buried his father, Taur Urgas, face-down in a ditch. After first slitting his throat, just to be really, ''really'' sure he was dead. Given that Taur Urgas was an absolute, frothing mad, psychotic monster, everyone consider this to be reasonably fair.

Sometimes a character has a [[MakeSureHesDead pragmatic reason]] to kill a dead person again, or is [[PummelingTheCorpse too emotional to stop themselves]] even though their victim is long past resistance. In this case, however, a character makes a deliberate decision to humiliate or punish the dead person even further. Sometimes they're so angry that death just isn't enough, and sometimes they're so evil they want to play with them some more. Spite, revenge, intimidation, and depravity are common motivators for desecrating the dead - for both Heroes and Villains.

** Usually a KickTheSonOfABitch moment because the dead villain really deserved it, or a case of PayEvilUntoEvil.

* In ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'', after the Wicked Witch of the West melts Dorothy sweeps her goopy remains out the door. It's not portrayed in a mean spirited manner though. Dorothy just wanted to clean up the mess.