History Main / FinishHim

* ''{{Drowtales}}'': [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=363 "So you successfully brought him to my feet. But alive. Kill him then."]]

* At the end of ''MetalGearSolid3'', the main character is [[spoiler: standing over his mentor's broken body aiming his Patriot at her face]]. The game won't continue until you fire.

The title for this trope may be a ''MortalKombat'' MemeticMutation, but it's ''not'' about that.

* [[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess]] actually has a move called the "Finishing Blow" in which Link jumps high into the air, does a front flip, and runs his sword through his fallen fo while he lays on the ground. The move is executed by a prompt that says "Finish" at the bottom of the screen.
** He also does this to [spoiler:Ganondorf during the final battle. As this is the only way to finish him off].

* Ditto ''{{Film/Gladiator}}''

Two characters meet to do battle on the field of honor, watched by someone in a position of authority over them. Maybe they are [[GladiatorGames gladiators, fighting for the amusement of the King and his people]]. Maybe they are two students fighting for the right to learn from [[SinkOrSwimMentor a master]]. In any case, they fight tooth and nail to defeat each other, and eventually one comes out on top, tasting victory while the opponent lies helpless and defeated.

[[AC: {{Comic Books}}]]

* Near the end of the "Superman In Exile" storyline, Superman is forced to fight in gladiatorial games on the distant planet known as Warworld. After a hard fought battle against the champion, Superman comes out victorious, and is ordered to FinishHim by the BigBad Warlord Mongul, who is watching the fight. When Supes refuses, it angers Mongul, demoralizes and humiliates the champion (who had hoped for an honorable death in battle), and astonishes the hordes of spectators watching the fight. This part of the storyline was adapted into a ''Justice League Unlimited'' episode titled "War World".

[[AC: {{Film}}]]

* After Anakin defeats and disarms (literally) Count Dooku in ''StarWars: RevengeOfTheSith,'' he is ordered to FinishHim by the watching captive, [[ManipulativeBastard Palpatine]]. After surprisingly little fight (or, perhaps, [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter not so surprising]]), Anakin complies, and instantly regrets it.

* Happens in {{Spartacus}}. TruthInTelevision to an extent; when it comes to Ancient Rome, the audience would have final say over the fate of a gladiator. As a rule, the audience would let a defeated gladiator live if he had fought bravely.
** Roman gladiators would never be killed at the end of a fight - their training was too expensive for them to be killed after just one fight. This practice was common with slaves and criminals, however.
** According to one documentary, if the host ordered the losing gladiator killed, then he had to pay for the replacement.

* Played straight in BatmanBegins, though, without prior knowledge of Ra's Al Ghul's personality, it would seem to a SecretTestOfCharacter instead.

[[AC: {{Literature}}]]

* ''Market Forces'' by Richard K. Morgan has a case where the main character actually goes along, after a page of agonizing. This incidentally marks his MoralEventHorizon.

* Percy refusing to kill Ethan in [[PercyJacksonAndTheOlympians Battle of the Labyrinth]] after defeating him in a gladiator-style duel and being ordered to kill him.

[[AC: {{Video Games}}]]

[[AC: {{Web Comics}}]]

* ''{{Drowtales}}'': [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=363 "So you successfully brought him to my feet. But alive. Kill him then."]]

[[AC: {{Western Animation}}]]

* The battle between Zoidberg and Fry in the ''{{Futurama}}'' episode, ''Why Must I Be a Crustacean In Love?'' Fry refuses, and goes into a dramatic speech about [[ThePowerOfFriendship the importance of friendship]]. At which point [[SubvertedTrope Zoidberg chops off his arm]], [[CrowningMomentOfFunny causing Fry to]] go into an UnstoppableRage while chasing a terrified Zoidberg and beating him [[GrievousHarmWithABody with said arm]].

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

* PrisonBreak: In Sona, a chicken-foot fight means only one of them can leave the fight alive. The first time Michael refuses and when the other guy comes at him with a knife Mahone kills him. The second time Whistler is about to kill Michael when their failed escape plan is found and the guards come storming in.

* In E.E. "Doc" Smith's ''[[{{Lensman}} Triplanetary]]'', the end of Patrocles's fight in the GladiatorGames; he stabs his foe, unnecessarily. Which means he lives long enough for a futile GladiatorRevolt.

* In ''MassEffect2'', Commander Sheppard can, if his/her Renegade points are high enough, force [[spoiler: Jack to kill one of her childhood inmates]] to prevent him from reopening the facility.

* In ''AvatarTheLastAirbender,'' Zuko kicks Zhao's butt in a duel in the third episode. Zhao, probably knowing full well that Zuko wouldn't be able to finish him off, says "do it!" when Zuko has him defeated. Zuko doesn't finish him--our first clue that he's not truly evil.

** As well as Flash's mercy wins over Voltan ''and'' Barin.

* ''FlashGordon'' (1980). Flash and Prince Barin are fighting on the tilting floor (with pop-up knives). While Flash is lashing Barin with a whip, [[BRIANBLESSED Prince Vultan]] yells "Come on boy, finish him!". Watch it on [=YouTube=] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUdMBciScd0 here, at 1:55]].

* ''FlashGordon'' (1980). Flash and Prince Barin are fighting on the tilting floor (with pop-up knives). While Flash is lashing Barin with a whip, Prince Voltan yells "Come on boy, finish him!". Watch it on [=YouTube=] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUdMBciScd0 here, at 1:55]].

* In the JusticeLeague episode War World, Superman is forced to fight in gladiatorial games on a distant planet. After a hard fought battle against the champion, Superman comes out victorious, and is ordered to FinishHim by the BigBad Warlord Mongul, who is watching the fight. When Supes refuses, it angers Mongul, demoralizes and humiliates the champion (who had hoped for an honorable death in battle), and astonishing the hordes of spectators watching the fight.

* After Anakin defeats and disarms (literally) Count Dooku in ''StarWars: Revenge Of The Sith,'' he is ordered to FinishHim by the watching captive, [[ManipulativeBastard Palpatine]]. After surprisingly little fight (or, perhaps, [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter not so surprising]]), Anakin complies, and instantly regrets it.
** In ''Return of the Jedi'', Palpatine gives Luke the same instruction as he stands over the defeated Darth Vader. This time, however, it doesn't work, and Luke's refusal to kill his own father is a major factor in the latter's HeelFaceTurn.

* After Anakin defeats and disarms (literally) Count Dooku in ''StarWars: Return Of The Sith,'' he is ordered to FinishHim by the watching captive, [[ManipulativeBastard Palpatine]]. After surprisingly little fight (or, perhaps, [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter not so surprising]]), Anakin complies, and instantly regrets it.

* ''{{Firefly}}'' In the episode ''Shindig'', Mal ends up in a sword duel with a local aristocrat. Predicably (since, well, [[ContractualImmortality one of these guys is a main character and one of these guys is not]]), Mal wins, with the aristocrat lying wounded on the ground. He is informed that to leave his opponent defeated and wounded would leave the man with the stigma of [[FateWorseThanDeath living as a coward]], and that killing him and saving him that disgrace would be the mark of a great man. [[hottip:*:Mal [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown pokes his fallen opponent repeatedly with a sword]] and [[CrowningMomentOfFunny proposes that he is instead "all right"]]]]

* ''{{Firefly}}'' In the episode ''Shindig'', Mal ends up in a sword duel with a local aristocrat. Predicably (since, well, [[ContractualImmortality one of these guys is a main character and one of these guys is not]]), Mal wins, with the aristocrat lying wounded on the ground. He is informed that to leave his opponent defeated and wounded would leave the man with the stigma of [[FateWorseThanDeath living as a coward]], and that killing him and saving him that disgrace would be the mark of a great man. [[hottip:*:Mal [[KickHimWhileHesDown pokes his fallen opponent repeatedly with a sword]] and [[CrowningMomentOfFunny proposes that he is instead "all right"]]