History Main / FamilyExtermination

* The Uchiha Clan Massacre in ''Anime/{{Naruto}}'' was done to prevent their potential uprising against the Konoha village. It was done by their own member, Uchiha Itachi, who's more loyal to the village than to his clan.
* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', This is the World Government's M.O. when it comes to Gold Roger since he was such an infamous pirate that influenced the Great Pirate Era. As such they try to find any traces of his bloodline or loved ones and snuff them out just to send a message to pirates around the world. [[spoiler: This ended up including Roger's then newborn son, Ace, as they were so paranoid they instantly targeted him for death. Ace's mother had to actually hold in her pregnancy with him to fly under the radar of the Marines before giving birth to him. Years later, they ultimately succeed when Ace takes a fatal hit to protect Luffy from Akainu's lava powers and dies.]]

* In ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII'', Don Ciccio orders the whole family of Antonio Andolini killed, for fear that they might grow up to take revenge in vendetta-obsessed Sicily. They are all killed except for Antonio's son, Vito, who escapes to America and becomes Vito Corleone. Sure enough Vito returns decades later and [[NiceJobBreakingItHerod kills Don Ciccio]].

** This is BigBad Mankor Camoran's plot for the game: he murders Emperor Uriel Septim and his three sons, which means that there is no one to wear the [[MacGuffin Amulet of Kings]], a magical artifact that was granted to the first Empress of Tamriel by the dragon god Akatosh. The Amulet is a CosmicKeystone that needs to be worn by someone of royal blood to keep the Dragonfires, magical flames that protect Tamriel from [[EldritchAbomination evil creatures known as Daedra]], burning. It turns out that Camoran [[DealWithTheDevil struck a bargain]] with Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedric Prince of Destruction: if he removed the Dragonfires from the equation and allowed Dagon to invade the physical realm, he'd take Camoran, his children, and their followers to "paradise." The player character's main quest involves finding the emperor's illegitimate son and elevating him to the throne, preventing Mehrunes Dagon from destroying all of creation.

* ''Galaxy Angel'' sees this in the first game, as exiled prince Eonia fires an orbital barrage that kills all but Shiva (who spends most of the following events on board the Elsior). Eonia was exiled because he wanted to use Lost Technology to expand the empire.

* [[MechanicalMonster Clockwerk]], the BigBad of the ''VideoGame/SlyCooper'' series, has this as his overall goal. A massive owl that's [[Really700YearsOld thousands of years old]], he so despises the Cooper family that he's gradually replaced his entire body with cybernetic parts just so he can keep tormenting them across the centuries. He's spent his immortal life trying to wipe out every single one of the raccoon thieves (succeeding in a few cases, including Sly's father), and it's eventually revealed that the combination of his determination to massacre them and the sheer hatred in his heart have made him functionally immortal--he wants to kill the Coopers so badly that he ''can't die until he does.''
** Same goes for [[spoiler:[[TheSociopath Penelope]]]], as revealed in ''VideoGame/SlyCooperThievesInTime'', who intends to use Bentley's time machine plans to erase the Cooper family (and presumably the English and Scottish royal families from 1301 onwards) from history out ''[[DrivenByEnvy sheer jealousy]]'' towards Sly and Murray for being Bentley's FamilyOfChoice and presumably holding him back from his potential.

* ''Webcomic/KaitenMutenmaru'': [[spoiler:The rebels]] decided to exterminate [[spoiler:the Solitude family]], not caring that [[spoiler:Sick]] was a child with no connection to the tyranny of [[spoiler:Pain and Yamai]] over the town. Although they apparently succeeded in killing [[spoiler:Pain and Yamai]], [[spoiler:Sick]] survived with the help of [[spoiler:Anne]] and turned into a monster seeking revenge for [[spoiler:their atrocities]].

* ''Film/{{Vengeance}}'' (2009 HeroicBloodshed movie) literally opens with the massacre of Sophie Costello's family, with her husband and sons getting gunned down by mobsters and herself barely surviving, leading to her father, RetiredBadass and former mob enforcer Francis Costello to discover the circumstances behind her demise and avenge her family.

* Back in ImperialChina, this was a common punishment for treason. If even one person was found guilty of treason, then they will be killed, along with the rest of their family. Severe cases would even extend to their extended family, which means their siblings, their side of the family, their parents, their aunts and uncles, their grandparents, their children, their grandchildren, their nephews and nieces, their spouses ''and'' their side of the family will ''all'' be purged, to ensure the complete erasure of the bloodline. One case in the MingDynasty [[ExaggeratedTrope even had]] [[DesecratingTheDead their dead ancestors' graves desecrated]].

* One of the most horrifying episodes of ''Literature/TheAdventuresOfHuckleberryFinn'' is this, the climax of the Grangerford/Shepherdson feud. It's a RoaringRampageOfRomance set off by the {{Elopement}} of Harvey Shepardson and Sophia Grangerford. By the end, all of the men (and teenage boys) of the family who have taken Huck in are dead, along with many of their relatives and at least some of the other side.
* In ''Literature/AlwaysComingHome'', after The Condor [[OffingTheOffspring executes his son]], he also executes his wives, concubines, children, and slaves.

* ''Literature/InTheCourtsOfTheCrimsonKings''. Done for entirely pragmatic reasons as the genome of Martian royal bloodlines is used to control their biotechnology, so if you don't eliminate your rivals and their ancestors for several generations you could have your power wrested from you. It's a ruthless system, but one that preserves that system (at the cost of stagnation) and avoids the destructive wars seen on Earth.

* In ''Literature/TheGodfather'', Vito Corleone had to flee Sicily to escape the extinction of his bloodline by a rival family.
* President Snow of ''Literature/TheHungerGames'' threatens Katniss Everdeen of murdering lots of her relatives if she doesn't keep her pretended couple with Peeta Mallark. This was the fate of Johanna Mason's family.

** The Reynes and Tarbecks are the most famous examples, but it seems to be standard policy to totally annihilate a rebelling house - to do otherwise leaves one open to reprisal from the survivors. [[spoiler:The gets deconstructed in the aftermath of the Red Wedding - attempting to wipe out a beloved and honorable family through one of the most repugnant acts of betrayal imaginable results in the Lannisters, Freys, and Boltons facing the wrath of the Northerners and the Riverlanderers, which encompasses so many people that they can't be subjected to this trope because they are not just one family, but thousands]].

** The ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "The Vengeance Factor" features this twice over. A century earlier, the planet Acamar was caught up in an endless series of [[FeudingFamilies blood feuds]] between rival clans, one of which, the Tralesta, was nearly completely destroyed by another clan, the Lornak. The handful of survivors agreed to turn one of their own into a biologically immortal assassin so that she could hunt down ''every single Lornak'' no matter how long it took. By the time the episode takes place, the few other remaining Tralesta are all long dead, only the assassin, a mild-mannered [[OlderThanTheyLook "young"]] woman named Yuta, remains. While she's long since grown weary of the killing and death, the process that made her stop aging also seems to have locked her in a state of grief and pain over losing her clan and she's ''very'' close to completing her mission. As she puts it to the penultimate Lornak, "I am the last of my line, but my clan will outlive yours!". Her chemistry with Riker is ''almost'' enough to convince her to give up on the vendetta but not quite, and he is forced to vaporize her before she can finish off the last survivor (an important political leader engaged in peace talks).
** The ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' episode "Tacking Into The Wind" has The Dominion execute all of the members of Damar's family because of his leading the [[LaResistance Cardassian Rebellion]].

* In the ''[[Literature/{{Belgariad}} Malloreon]]'', emperor 'Zakath vows to wipe out the entire bloodline of Murgo king Taur Urgas after a scheme of the latter's got his fiancee executed. The only way to stop him from killing the surviving prince Urgit is by revealing that the Queen cheated on Urgas with a Drasnian emissary, and the reason he was the surviving "son" was the mental advantage of being the only one not RoyallyScrewedUp.

* Throughout the course of ''Fanfic/CodePrime'', the Britannian Royal Family, which comprises of Emperor Charles and his many consorts and children, is cut down a lot. By the time ''R2'' ends, the remaining members left alive are [[spoiler:Lelouch, Nunnally, Cornelia, Euphemia, Rai, Marrybell, Odysseus, Carine, and Laila.]]

* In ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainBoilingPoint'': [[spoiler: After Persephone Brae was raped by Alador Blight, due to him being brainwashed by his wife Odalia, Persephone asked Prometheus Urodela to murder ''every single member of the family'' in revenge. All that's left are the parents and their children.]]
* Creator/SetaSuzume

--> '''Frank''': ''"People scare better when they're dying."''

* ''Literature/RingingBell'' has the titular protagonist's flock being eaten alive by a wolf named Woe, beginning his StartOfDarkness and gradual fall into an AntiHero.
* ''Literature/InColdBlood'' by Truman Capote is about the murder of entire families, the Clutter family at the hands of robbers, and the Andrews family by their son Lowell.

* In ''[[Literature/{{Redwall}} The Pearls of Lutra]]'', there is the Lutra otter clan that got exterminated (except for a SoleSurvivor) because of the beautiful pink pearls they owned that the BigBad wanted for his crown. [[spoiler:He never got the pearls anyway, and Martin the Warrior (the Second) shouted the name of Lutra when killing him.]]

* ''Literature/JudgeDee'': In "The Chinese Bell Murders", Lin Fan arranges for the murder of a rival family (his in-laws). Unfortunately, one of the adult daughters survived and has been tailing him ever since, accusing him of the murders before every new magistrate that gets assigned to the town. [[spoiler:Except the surviving daughter was actually his wife, which he couldn't reveal without also admitting his guilt.]]
* ''Literature/TalionRevenant'': Nolan's whole family was murdered apart from him [[spoiler:as a result of their having a claim to the Hamisian crown that could endanger its royal family]].

* This is Patrick Jane's basic TragicBackstory in ''Series/TheMentalist''. Jane was a celebrity "psychic" using cold reading and psychology to make people think he could read minds and talk to dead loved ones. After he insulted a serial killer, Red John, on live TV, Jane came home to discover Red John had killed his wife and young daughter. In the series, Jane works as a consultant for the California Bureau of Investigation and has [[CrusadingWidow vowed to catch Red John]] and [[PayEvilUntoEvil do to him what he did to Jane's family.]]

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Godbound}}'' the "Sever the Line" power from the Fertility word renders the target sterile and does damage (which if they are ordinary humans will likely kill them) to all descendants up to the fifth generation. The user may choose to spare particular descendants.

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoV:'' [[AxCrazy Trevor]] [[SociopathicHero Phillips]] does this to the O'Neil brothers after they replaced him in a business deal with Wei Cheng.

* [[MechanicalMonster Clockwerk,]] the BigBad of the ''VideoGame/SlyCooper'' series, has this as his overall goal. A massive owl that's [[Really700YearsOld thousands of years old]], he so despises the Cooper family that he's gradually replaced his entire body with cybernetic parts just so he can keep tormenting them across the centuries. He's spent his immortal life trying to wipe out every single one of the raccoon thieves (succeeding in a few cases, including Sly's father), and it's eventually revealed that the combination of his determination to massacre them and the sheer hatred in his heart have made him functionally immortal--he wants to kill the Coopers so badly that he ''can't die until he does.''
** Same goes for [[spoiler:[[TheSociopath Penelope]]]], as revealed in ''VideoGame/SlyCooperThievesInTime'', who intends to use Bentley's time machine plans to erase the Cooper family (and presumably the English and Scottish royal families from 1301 onwards) from history out ''[[DrivenByEnvy sheer jealousy]]'' towards Sly and Murray for being Bentley's FamilyOfChoice and presumably holding him back from his potential.

-->'''Merno''': The zealots got fearless. They wiped out whole cities in Su'un. Massacred Slayers by the hundreds. Then...they — I used to have so many cousins, aunts, and uncles. My grandparents, my mother. My father was spared...so they'd have someone to give Kie's head.

'''Everyone''': The bloodline....\\

* ''Series/BreakingBad'': Gus' ultimate goal is to wipe out the entire Salamanca bloodline, and all of their cartel associates, as revenge for Hector Salamanca executing his friend/partner/boyfriend many years ago. Most of the Salamancas are gradually killed off over the course of both ''Breaking Bad'' and ''Series/BetterCallSaul'', but Gus [[spoiler:eventually succeeds in eradicating all but Hector when he tricks all the cartel members into drinking poisoned tequila (although the last one, Hector's grandson, is shot to death by Jesse in self-defence shortly afterwards), and then relishes rubbing their deaths in Hector's face. Hector later gets his revenge on Gus in a SuicideAttack.]]

* Throughout the course of ''Fanfic/CodePrime'', the Britannian Royal Family, which comprises of Emperor Charles and his many consorts and children, is cut down a lot. By the time the final arc in ''R2'' starts up, the remaining members left alive are [[spoiler:Lelouch, Nunnally, Cornelia, Euphemia, Rai, Marrybell, Odysseus, Carine, Laila, and Marianne.]]

* In ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII'', Don Ciccio orders the whole family of Antonio Andolini killed. They are all killed except for Antonio's son, Vito, who escapes to America and becomes Vito Corleone. Vito returns decades later and [[NiceJobBreakingItHerod kills Don Ciccio]].

* Back in ImperialChina, this was a common punishment for treason. If even one person was found guilty of treason, then they will be killed, along with the rest of their family. Severe cases would even extend to their extended family, which means their siblings, their side of the family, their parents, their aunts and uncles, their grandparents, their children, their grandchildren, their nephews and nieces, their spouses ''and'' their side of the family will ''all'' be purged. One case in the MingDynasty [[ExaggeratedTrope even had]] [[DesecratingTheDead their dead ancestors' graves desecrated]].

* During Post-Crisis ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'s ''[[ComicBook/Supergirl2005 book]]'', supervillain Reactron [[ComicBook/NewKrypton murdered Supergirl's father]], and then [[ComicBook/WhoIsSuperwoman attempted to murder her]] and her family systematically and doggedly, until he finally managed to wipe her mother and her whole race out. Kara and [[Franchise/{{Superman}} her cousin]] were the only survivors.
* One ComicBook/XMen story-arc had a group of Shi'ar decide to wipe out the entire Grey family due to the association between ComicBook/JeanGrey and the Phoenix Force. Jean was dead at the time, so the only two survivors were [[ComicBook/RachelSummers Rachel]] and [[ComicBook/XMan Nate]] (who was NotQuiteDead at the time). Rachel took her revenge, killing the main assassin behind it. She doesn't kill the man who recommended it (and actually saves his life, albeit after giving serious consideration to letting him get eaten), instead opting to share her grief and pain with him, leaving him shell-shocked.