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* ''Film/[[{{Gremlins}} Gremlins 2]]'' has Billy killing off the Gremlin hoard by getting them wet (normally a bad idea) but then unleashing the gremlin that had ShockAndAwe ElementalPowers on them. ...it's not clear what happened to the electric Gremlin. Maybe being grounded absorbed him into the ground?
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* ''Film/[[{{Gremlins}} ''[[Film/{{Gremlins}} Gremlins 2]]'' has Billy killing off the Gremlin hoard by getting them wet (normally a bad idea) but then unleashing the gremlin that had ShockAndAwe ElementalPowers on them. ...it's not clear what happened to the electric Gremlin. Maybe being grounded absorbed him into the ground?
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* ''Film/{{Gremlins}}2'' has Billy killing off the Gremlin hoard by getting them wet (normally a bad idea) but then unleashing the gremlin that had ShockAndAwe ElementalPowers on them. ...it's not clear what happened to the electric Gremlin. Maybe being grounded absorbed him into the ground?
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* ''Film/{{Gremlins}}2'' ''Film/[[{{Gremlins}} Gremlins 2]]'' has Billy killing off the Gremlin hoard by getting them wet (normally a bad idea) but then unleashing the gremlin that had ShockAndAwe ElementalPowers on them. ...it's not clear what happened to the electric Gremlin. Maybe being grounded absorbed him into the ground?
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* [[BlackComedy Played for]] [[CrossesTheLineTwice comedy of all things]] on ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', where in one episode Dean dies multiple deaths while Sam is trapped in a GroundHogDayLoop. One of the ways he dies is by plugging a electric shaver into a faulty outlet. And yes we do see XRaySparks.
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Also ironically it's pretty rare for a High Voltage Death to be caused by ElementalPowers, since there are so many other ways to die by electricity. Killing someone intentionally with [[ShockAndAwe Electric]] ElementalPowers is usually a privilege reserved for the most evil of villains, because of how horrifying it looks, and how painful killing someone with high voltage can be. You could say it's a twist saved for when you really want to shock the audience.
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* DoubleSubverted in ''Film/{{Hellboy}}'' when the title character is battling Sammael [[ResurrectiveImmortality the first time]]. Hellboy grabs the third rail of a subway. He just gets a little jolted, but Sammael gets barbecued. Hellboy then [[CouldntFindALighter lights a cigar off]] a flaming bit of Sammael stuck to his stone hand.
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* DoubleSubverted in ''Film/{{Hellboy}}'' when the title character is battling Sammael [[ResurrectiveImmortality the first time]]. Hellboy grabs the third rail of a subway. He just gets a little jolted, but Sammael gets barbecued. Hellboy then [[CouldntFindALighter lights a cigar off]] a flaming bit of Sammael stuck to his stone hand.
* In the ''Franchise/BioShock'' series, any enemies hit by electricity in water are instantly killed.
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* In the ''Franchise/BioShock'' series, any enemies hit by electricity in water are instantly killed.
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* This trope is used to justify Chell's SuperDrowningSkills in the {{Portal}} games; falling into water causes the portal gun to short out and (presumably) give her a fatal dose of electricity.
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* This trope is used to justify Chell's SuperDrowningSkills in the {{Portal}} games; ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' series; falling into water causes the portal gun to short out and (presumably) give her a fatal dose of electricity.
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* DoubleSubverted in ''Film/{{Hellboy}}'' when the title character is battling Sammael [[ResurrectiveImmortality the first time]]. Hellboy grabs the third rail of a subway. He just gets a little jolted, but Sammael gets barbecued. Hellboy then [[CouldntFindALighter lights a cigar off]] a flaming bit of Sammael stuck to his stone hand.
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* In the ''Franchise/BioShock'' series, any enemies hit by electricity in water are instantly killed.
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* ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater''. Blackmage electrocutes a group of old men to death in an old folks home with a Bolt 2 spell just for the [[ForTheEvulz sake of killing them]]. Well he also wanted to find an old man that took their gold, but he makes it pretty clear prior to that that he's mostly going there to cause mayhem, and only asks someone about the gold ''after'' he kills them.
--> '''Blackmage''': ''"Eat electric death old man!!!"''
--> '''Blackmage''': ''"Eat electric death old man!!!"''
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* ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater''. Blackmage Black Mage electrocutes a group of old men to death in an old folks home with a Bolt 2 spell just for the [[ForTheEvulz sake of killing them]]. Well he also wanted to find an old man that took their gold, but he makes it pretty clear prior to that that he's mostly going there to cause mayhem, and only asks someone about the gold ''after'' he kills them.
-->'''Blackmage''': ''"Eat '''Black Mage''': ''Eat electric death old man!!!"''man!!!''
-->
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* This trope is used to justify Chell's SuperDrowningSkills in the {{Portal}} games; falling into water causes the portal gun to short out and (presumably) give her a fatal dose of electricity.
* ''VideoGame/SilentHill4'': Walter kills Richard Braintree by strapping him to an electric chair.
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* This trope is used to justify Chell's SuperDrowningSkills in the {{Portal}} games; falling into water causes the portal gun to short out and (presumably) give her a fatal dose of electricity.
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* This trope is used to justify Chell's SuperDrowningSkills in the {{Portal}} games; falling into water causes the portal gun to short out and (presumably) give her a fatal dose of electricity.
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Also ironically it's pretty rare for a High Voltage Death to be caused by ElementalPowers, since there are so many other ways to die by electricity. Killing someone intentionally with [[ShockAndAwe Electric]] ElementalPowers is usually a privilege reserved for the most evil of villains, because of how horrifying it looks, and how painful killing someone with high voltage can be. You could say it's a twist saved for when you really want to [[IncrediblyLamePun shock the audience]].
to:
Also ironically it's pretty rare for a High Voltage Death to be caused by ElementalPowers, since there are so many other ways to die by electricity. Killing someone intentionally with [[ShockAndAwe Electric]] ElementalPowers is usually a privilege reserved for the most evil of villains, because of how horrifying it looks, and how painful killing someone with high voltage can be. You could say it's a twist saved for when you really want to [[IncrediblyLamePun shock the audience]].audience.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Jumper}}'' games feature very common electric currents which are an instant death for Ogmo
* In ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'', if Sackboy touches an electrified material, his seams burst and he has to restart from the previous checkpoint.([[OneHitPointWonder like anything else]]) if he comes into contact with their yellow sections.
* In ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'', if Sackboy touches an electrified material, his seams burst and he has to restart from the previous checkpoint.([[OneHitPointWonder like anything else]]) if he comes into contact with their yellow sections.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Jumper}}'' games feature very common electric currents which are an instant death for Ogmo
Ogmo ([[OneHitPointWonder like anything else]]) if he comes into contact with their yellow sections.
* In ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'', if Sackboy touches an electrified material, his seams burst and he has to restart from the previous checkpoint.([[OneHitPointWonder like anything else]]) if he comes into contact with their yellow sections.
* In ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'', if Sackboy touches an electrified material, his seams burst and he has to restart from the previous checkpoint.
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[[/folder]]
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----
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Don\'t be hasty. Aang\'s almost death still counts as Subverted Trope since he almost did.
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* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Subverts this. Azula uses lightning bending and strikes Aang in the back as he is entering into the Avatar state, threatening to end the avatar cycle for good. It at least looks like he died until Katara revives him with water from the Spirit Oasis, subverting a permanent version of this.
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I deleted the \'\'Avatar\'\' example. In \'\'Journey to the Spirit World\'\', Roku reveals Aang was Not Quitr Dead, but says he cut it close. Had Katara been a moment later using the water from the Spirit Oasis, \'\'then\'\' he would have actually died and the cycle of reincarnation would\'ve been broken permanently.
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* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Azula uses lightning bending and strikes Aang in the back as he is entering into the Avatar state, threatening to end the avatar cycle for good. And Aang really does die. he stops breathing, his heart stops beating, and everything. At least until Katara revives him with water from the Spirit Oasis, subverting a permanent version of this.
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* ''{{Film/Gremlins 2}}'' has Billy killing off the Gremlin hoard by getting them wet (normally a bad idea) but then unleashing the gremlin that had ShockAndAwe ElementalPowers on them. ...it's not clear what happened to the electric Gremlin. Maybe being grounded absorbed him into the ground?
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* ''{{Film/Gremlins 2}}'' ''Film/{{Gremlins}}2'' has Billy killing off the Gremlin hoard by getting them wet (normally a bad idea) but then unleashing the gremlin that had ShockAndAwe ElementalPowers on them. ...it's not clear what happened to the electric Gremlin. Maybe being grounded absorbed him into the ground?
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* ''{{Film/Gremlins 2}}'' has Billy killing off the Gremlin hoard by getting them wet (normally a bad idea) but then unleashing the gremlin that had ShockAndAwe ElementalPowers on them. ...it's not clear what happened to the electic Gremlin. Maybe being grounded absorbed him into the ground?
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* ''{{Film/Gremlins 2}}'' has Billy killing off the Gremlin hoard by getting them wet (normally a bad idea) but then unleashing the gremlin that had ShockAndAwe ElementalPowers on them. ...it's not clear what happened to the electic electric Gremlin. Maybe being grounded absorbed him into the ground?
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** This is the "easy" way to defeat Phantoom in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'', ''Samus'' touches current while Phantoom is touching her; and then gain VictoryByEndurance while you both are electrified.
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** This is the "easy" way to defeat Phantoom in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'', ''Samus'' touches current while Phantoom is touching her; and then gain VictoryByEndurance while you both are electrified.
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** This is the "easy" way to defeat Phantoom in ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'', ''Samus'' touches current while Phantoom is touching her; and then gain VictoryByEndurance while you both are electrified.
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* ''{{Film/Gremlins 2}}'' has Billy killing off the Gremlin hoard by getting them wet (normally a bad idea) but then unleashing the gremlin that had ShockAndAwe ElementalPowers on them. ...it's not clear what happened to the electic Gremlin. Maybe being grounded absorbed him into the ground?
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The polar opposite to HarmlessElectrocution. Related to AccidentalMurder, KarmicDeath, and MakeItLookLikeAnAccident. ElectrifiedBathtub is a subtrope. In more comical instances can lead to XRaySparks. For cases where electricity is ''not'' harmless, but doesn't cause death either, see ElectricTorture.
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The polar opposite to HarmlessElectrocution. Related to AccidentalMurder, BoltOfDivineRetribution, KarmicDeath, and MakeItLookLikeAnAccident. ElectrifiedBathtub is a subtrope. In more comical instances can lead to XRaySparks. For cases where electricity is ''not'' harmless, but doesn't cause death either, see ElectricTorture.
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* In ''VideoGames/LittleBigPlanet'', if Sackboy touches an electrified material, his seams burst and he has to restart from the previous checkpoint.([[OneHitPointWonder like anything else]]) if he comes into contact with their yellow sections.
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* In ''VideoGames/LittleBigPlanet'', ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'', if Sackboy touches an electrified material, his seams burst and he has to restart from the previous checkpoint.([[OneHitPointWonder like anything else]]) if he comes into contact with their yellow sections.
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There are a couple of different reasons a character might die by electrocution. The main reason is it's a very “clean” way for creators to kill a character off without having to resort to BloodlessCarnage or SymbolicBlood. Thus a High Voltage Death is often used when creators want to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar get around the censors]] in a more realistic way, especially in kids shows. The other reason is it's also very easy to make a High Voltage Death [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident look like]] [[AccidentalMurder an accident]], which makes for a great KarmicDeath. One reason to accidentally die by electrocution is for it be an AccidentalMurder where the "killer" only intended to rough them up a bit, but one thing leads to another, and the "victim" ends up turning on the power and unintentionally killing themselves. Or the electrified character ends up being [[TooDumbToLive oblivious to the fact]] that electricity was running through the thing that ends up killing them. Despite all this dying by electrocution can often be a more painful, and horrifying way to die than other kinds of deaths, so it ends up being affected by ValuesDissonance.
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There are a couple of different reasons a character might die by electrocution. The main reason is it's a very “clean” way for creators to kill a character off without having to resort to BloodlessCarnage or SymbolicBlood. Thus a High Voltage Death is often used when creators want to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar get around the censors]] in a more realistic way, way; especially in kids shows. The other reason is it's also very easy to make a High Voltage Death [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident look like]] [[AccidentalMurder an accident]], which makes for a great KarmicDeath. One reason to accidentally die by electrocution is for it be an AccidentalMurder where the "killer" only intended to rough them up a bit, but one thing leads to another, and the "victim" ends up turning on the power and unintentionally killing themselves. Or the electrified character ends up being [[TooDumbToLive oblivious to the fact]] that electricity was running through the thing that ends up killing them. Despite all this dying by electrocution can often be a more painful, and horrifying way to die than other kinds of deaths, so it ends up being affected by ValuesDissonance.
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There are a couple of different reasons a character might die by electrocution. The main reason is it's a very “clean” way for creators to kill a character off without having to resort to BloodlessCarnage or SymbolicBlood. Thus a High Voltage Death is often used in kids shows as a way to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar get around the censors]] in a more realistic way. The other reason is it's also very easy to make a High Voltage Death [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident look like]] [[AccidentalMurder an accident]], which makes for a great KarmicDeath. One reason to accidentally die by electrocution is for it be an AccidentalMurder where the "killer" only intended to rough them up a bit, but one thing leads to another, and the "victim" ends up turning on the power and unintentionally killing themselves. Or the electrified character ends up being [[TooDumbToLive oblivious to the fact]] that electricity was running through the thing that ends up killing them. Despite all this dying by electrocution can often be a more painful, and horrifying way to die than other kinds of deaths, so it ends up being affected by ValuesDissonance.
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There are a couple of different reasons a character might die by electrocution. The main reason is it's a very “clean” way for creators to kill a character off without having to resort to BloodlessCarnage or SymbolicBlood. Thus a High Voltage Death is often used in kids shows as a way when creators want to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar get around the censors]] in a more realistic way.way, especially in kids shows. The other reason is it's also very easy to make a High Voltage Death [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident look like]] [[AccidentalMurder an accident]], which makes for a great KarmicDeath. One reason to accidentally die by electrocution is for it be an AccidentalMurder where the "killer" only intended to rough them up a bit, but one thing leads to another, and the "victim" ends up turning on the power and unintentionally killing themselves. Or the electrified character ends up being [[TooDumbToLive oblivious to the fact]] that electricity was running through the thing that ends up killing them. Despite all this dying by electrocution can often be a more painful, and horrifying way to die than other kinds of deaths, so it ends up being affected by ValuesDissonance.
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[[quoteright:350:WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grimeydanger_2425.jpg]]]]
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[[quoteright:350[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsonshttp://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grimeydanger_2425.jpg]]]]
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[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grimeydanger_2425.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"What's This!? Extremely High Voltage! [[TemptingFate Well I don't need to wear safety gloves]] [[KilledMidSentence because I'm Homer Simps-]]"]]
There are many ways to kill off a character, but ever since Thomas Edison invented the electric chair, creators have learned that a particularly flashy way to do it has been to run a high voltage current through them. The circumstances may vary, the character may take a nasty fall into some high voltage equipment, grab an electric fence, or wires, or their death may be something more mundane like [[ElectrifiedBathtub dropping a toaster into the tub]]. The fact is a lot of characters get a nasty shock, and they die, and there's a million ways to do that.
There are a couple of different reasons a character might die by electrocution. The main reason is it's a very “clean” way for creators to kill a character off without having to resort to BloodlessCarnage or SymbolicBlood. Thus a High Voltage Death is often used in kids shows as a way to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar get around the censors]] in a more realistic way. The other reason is it's also very easy to make a High Voltage Death [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident look like]] [[AccidentalMurder an accident]], which makes for a great KarmicDeath. One reason to accidentally die by electrocution is for it be an AccidentalMurder where the "killer" only intended to rough them up a bit, but one thing leads to another, and the "victim" ends up turning on the power and unintentionally killing themselves. Or the electrified character ends up being [[TooDumbToLive oblivious to the fact]] that electricity was running through the thing that ends up killing them. Despite all this dying by electrocution can often be a more painful, and horrifying way to die than other kinds of deaths, so it ends up being affected by ValuesDissonance.
Also ironically it's pretty rare for a High Voltage Death to be caused by ElementalPowers, since there are so many other ways to die by electricity. Killing someone intentionally with [[ShockAndAwe Electric]] ElementalPowers is usually a privilege reserved for the most evil of villains, because of how horrifying it looks, and how painful killing someone with high voltage can be. You could say it's a twist saved for when you really want to [[IncrediblyLamePun shock the audience]].
This is a death trope so '''spoilers will be unmarked'''
The polar opposite to HarmlessElectrocution. Related to AccidentalMurder, KarmicDeath, and MakeItLookLikeAnAccident. ElectrifiedBathtub is a subtrope. In more comical instances can lead to XRaySparks. For cases where electricity is ''not'' harmless, but doesn't cause death either, see ElectricTorture.
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Film]]
* ''Literature/TheBadSeed'': In the original book, and play versions, the story's EnfantTerrible Rhoda, survives an attempted murder by her mother and it's implied Rhoda goes on to killing her next victim. In the film version due to Hay's code being in effect at the time, and ExecutiveMeddling they couldn't allow a criminal to get away with their crimes, so they tacked on a scene at the end where Rhoda is killed by a BoltOfDivineRetribution.
* ''Film/BatmanReturns'': Max Shreck dies this way, courtesy of Catwoman overloading the power generator at Penguin's Arctic World, and frying him with one of the wires while giving him one hell of a KissOfDeath.
* In the movie ''DickTracy's Dilemma'', the villain, The Claw, dies when his HookHand snags on some high voltage wires while he is trying to kill Tracy.
*''Film/JamesBond''
** ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''. JamesBond kills TheDragon Oddjob by applying a live electrical cable to some steel bars as Oddjob is retrieving his metal-lined hat from the bars. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nlPQycYGt4 here]].
** ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'': In the first scene after the opening credits, [[BiggerBad Ernst Stavro Blofeld]] electrocutes one of the members of SPECTRE's ruling council in his chair, in the middle of a meeting, for embezzling from their drug-dealing operation in the United States.
* ''Film/LastActionHero''. Jack Slater dispatches the Ripper using this method; While on a rainy rooftop The Ripper throws an axe at him, Jack takes the axe and uses it to chop open a nearby powerbox. He climbs onto the side of the building and pushes the cut power lines into the puddles Ripper is standing in, electrocuting Ripper to death.
*''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' has Landon, the son of the owner of the ape sanctuary. After Caesar has enough of his abuse and speaks, he turns the kid's hose on him, and since Landon is still holding his activated cattle prod...well, guess. Combined with a bit of HoistByHisOwnPetard, it seems.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Quite a few Sith lords have used Force Lightning to kill their opponents or have had similar attempts made on their life. It's such a common technique among the dark side that it's controversial in the Star Wars universe for someone working on the light side of the force to use it.
* ''Film/TheTakingOfPelhamOneTwoThree'': The movie's mastermind chooses to commit suicide rather than be captured by the police, because if convicted he was likely to face life in prison, and he preferred dying to that. He fries himself by stepping on the live third rail in the subway.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Attempted but averted in an episode of ''Series/TheIncredibleHulk'', where a KISS-like heavy metal singer (played by Mackenzie Phillips) plans to do this and make it look like an accident during a concert in order to teach her fans a lesson about...something or other. But when she sees David Hulk Out and the fans are still screaming for more, she realizes that her death will make no difference to them.
* ''KolchakTheNightStalker''. In the episode "The Ripper". Kolchak manages to destroy the spirit of Jack the Ripper by electrocuting him.
* ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie'' had this happen multiple times, including to a man who [[CruelAndUnusualDeath zapped his penis off]] [[TooDumbToLive peeing on an electric fence]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu'' supplement ''The Asylum and Other Tales'', adventure "The Asylum". Doctor Freygan's laboratory has a tub into which victims are placed in order to turn them into proto-shoggoths. If a living person is in the tub when the apparatus is activated, electrical bolts slam into their body and instantly (and horribly) kill them by electrocution.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''
** Over the years many characters have been killed by the various electricity-related spells such as Shocking Grasp, Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning and others.
** 1st Edition module S3 ''Expedition to the Barrier Peaks''. In Level II (Service Deck 5) there are areas that contain electrical equipment such as generators and transformers. If a {{PC}} decides to touch these devices with metal objects (e.g. weapons), there's a 10% chance that the character will be electrocuted and killed.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'': Phoenix is accused of killing Doug Swallow this way by pushing him onto live wires. It's not true though.
* ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' has electrified water as an occasional hazard. It does gradual damage but it can still kill you if you're not paying attention. Although you can get an augmentation that renders you immune.
* ''VideoGame/EvilGenius'' allows you to build traps to electrocute heroes infiltrating your lair.
* ''VideoGame/{{Jumper}}'' games feature very common electric currents which are an instant death for Ogmo
* In ''VideoGames/LittleBigPlanet'', if Sackboy touches an electrified material, his seams burst and he has to restart from the previous checkpoint.([[OneHitPointWonder like anything else]]) if he comes into contact with their yellow sections.
* ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' has electrified water as a hazard that damages you over time in the third zone you visit, where you get the Speed Boost. The player can accidentally kill themselves falling into it if they have low health.
* ''VideoGame/ThePunisher'': In the Rykers Island level Frank comes across a inmate strapped into an electric chair. After interrogating him the player can then choose whether or not to fry him.
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis'' after collecting an item from the power station needed to advance in the game, The player will then see a cutscene of a group of zombies trying to break in via the front gate.The player is then given two options, either escape through the back door or redirect power to the gate electrocuting the zombies and killing them.
*This is one way your sims can die in ''VideoGame/TheSims'', by trying to repair electrical appliances with poor mechanical/handiness skills, or (in the Seasons expansions for the second two games) being struck by lightning. Comes complete with XRaySparks.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater''. Blackmage electrocutes a group of old men to death in an old folks home with a Bolt 2 spell just for the [[ForTheEvulz sake of killing them]]. Well he also wanted to find an old man that took their gold, but he makes it pretty clear prior to that that he's mostly going there to cause mayhem, and only asks someone about the gold ''after'' he kills them.
--> '''Blackmage''': ''"Eat electric death old man!!!"''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Azula uses lightning bending and strikes Aang in the back as he is entering into the Avatar state, threatening to end the avatar cycle for good. And Aang really does die. he stops breathing, his heart stops beating, and everything. At least until Katara revives him with water from the Spirit Oasis, subverting a permanent version of this.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'': After The Joker kidnaps Tim Drake (Robin), and brainwashes him into being insane like himself. The Joker tries to get Tim to to kill the Batman and prove Tim is like him. In the censored version of the scene Tim pushes The Joker into a glass container full of water, breaking it, which causes him to get tangled in electrical wires attached to the container. The Joker slips on the water and accidentally pulls an electrical switch, and the wires electrocute him to death.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'' episode "In A Jam", Russel is electrocuted and reduced to ashes by a shorted amplifier at the beginning. Notable for being one of the most cartoony and ''least'' gory deaths in the series.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'': One of Dethklok's songs, "Bloodrocuted" is about an electrician who uses a pool of his own blood and an electrical outlet to fry some mercenaries who are after him.
* In ''OliverAndCompany'' Sykes' dobermans are knocked off a speeding car onto some subway tracks. One of them, named Roscoe, dies of electrocution when he falls onto an electrified subway rail. This is also a blatant case of GettingCrapPastTheRadar since Roscoe's death is pretty graphic and painful. While another dog who is killed is only ''heard'' not shown, and Sykes, who dies by being crushed by a train, is only barely shown.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': At the end of the episode “Homer's Enemy” Frank Grimes outraged at how Homer is constantly rewarded for his stupidity, goes insane, and starts mockingly mimicking risky things Homer would do and saying he's “Homer Simpson”. While doing this he grabs a high voltage cable without safety gloves in Homer's office and unintentionally electrocutes himself to death, ironically committing suicide.
* ''WesternAnimation/TitanAE'': This Creator/DonBluth movie has a HeroicSacrifice variant. Captain Korso repays Cale Tucker for saving his life by making a HeroicSacrifice, using himself as a shunt in a huge circuit breaker so that Cale can power up the ''Titan'' spacecraft. He is seen momentarily roaring in pain from the massive current flowing between the contact points.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Real Life]]
* Thomas Edison invented the electric chair when he was asked to come up with a new humane execution method to replace executions by hanging. As ThomasEdison battled with NikolaTesla, he insisted that the first execution by electric chair be carried out with the Alternating Current Tesla promoted [[SpringtimeForHitler to show people how lethal Alternating Current was]]. The first attempt failed however when the electrocution caused the convict to become unconscious but failed to stop his heart and breathing, and his blood vessels underneath ruptured and bled causing unnecessary suffering. They had to charge electricity and try again making the whole execution take 8 minutes to kill the convict. The public seeing this instead associated [[GoneHorriblyWrong ALL electricity as being bad and lethal to people, not just Alternating Current]]. This set back electricity's reputation for awhile.
[[/folder]]
[[caption-width-right:350:"What's This!? Extremely High Voltage! [[TemptingFate Well I don't need to wear safety gloves]] [[KilledMidSentence because I'm Homer Simps-]]"]]
There are many ways to kill off a character, but ever since Thomas Edison invented the electric chair, creators have learned that a particularly flashy way to do it has been to run a high voltage current through them. The circumstances may vary, the character may take a nasty fall into some high voltage equipment, grab an electric fence, or wires, or their death may be something more mundane like [[ElectrifiedBathtub dropping a toaster into the tub]]. The fact is a lot of characters get a nasty shock, and they die, and there's a million ways to do that.
There are a couple of different reasons a character might die by electrocution. The main reason is it's a very “clean” way for creators to kill a character off without having to resort to BloodlessCarnage or SymbolicBlood. Thus a High Voltage Death is often used in kids shows as a way to [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar get around the censors]] in a more realistic way. The other reason is it's also very easy to make a High Voltage Death [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident look like]] [[AccidentalMurder an accident]], which makes for a great KarmicDeath. One reason to accidentally die by electrocution is for it be an AccidentalMurder where the "killer" only intended to rough them up a bit, but one thing leads to another, and the "victim" ends up turning on the power and unintentionally killing themselves. Or the electrified character ends up being [[TooDumbToLive oblivious to the fact]] that electricity was running through the thing that ends up killing them. Despite all this dying by electrocution can often be a more painful, and horrifying way to die than other kinds of deaths, so it ends up being affected by ValuesDissonance.
Also ironically it's pretty rare for a High Voltage Death to be caused by ElementalPowers, since there are so many other ways to die by electricity. Killing someone intentionally with [[ShockAndAwe Electric]] ElementalPowers is usually a privilege reserved for the most evil of villains, because of how horrifying it looks, and how painful killing someone with high voltage can be. You could say it's a twist saved for when you really want to [[IncrediblyLamePun shock the audience]].
This is a death trope so '''spoilers will be unmarked'''
The polar opposite to HarmlessElectrocution. Related to AccidentalMurder, KarmicDeath, and MakeItLookLikeAnAccident. ElectrifiedBathtub is a subtrope. In more comical instances can lead to XRaySparks. For cases where electricity is ''not'' harmless, but doesn't cause death either, see ElectricTorture.
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Film]]
* ''Literature/TheBadSeed'': In the original book, and play versions, the story's EnfantTerrible Rhoda, survives an attempted murder by her mother and it's implied Rhoda goes on to killing her next victim. In the film version due to Hay's code being in effect at the time, and ExecutiveMeddling they couldn't allow a criminal to get away with their crimes, so they tacked on a scene at the end where Rhoda is killed by a BoltOfDivineRetribution.
* ''Film/BatmanReturns'': Max Shreck dies this way, courtesy of Catwoman overloading the power generator at Penguin's Arctic World, and frying him with one of the wires while giving him one hell of a KissOfDeath.
* In the movie ''DickTracy's Dilemma'', the villain, The Claw, dies when his HookHand snags on some high voltage wires while he is trying to kill Tracy.
*''Film/JamesBond''
** ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''. JamesBond kills TheDragon Oddjob by applying a live electrical cable to some steel bars as Oddjob is retrieving his metal-lined hat from the bars. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nlPQycYGt4 here]].
** ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'': In the first scene after the opening credits, [[BiggerBad Ernst Stavro Blofeld]] electrocutes one of the members of SPECTRE's ruling council in his chair, in the middle of a meeting, for embezzling from their drug-dealing operation in the United States.
* ''Film/LastActionHero''. Jack Slater dispatches the Ripper using this method; While on a rainy rooftop The Ripper throws an axe at him, Jack takes the axe and uses it to chop open a nearby powerbox. He climbs onto the side of the building and pushes the cut power lines into the puddles Ripper is standing in, electrocuting Ripper to death.
*''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' has Landon, the son of the owner of the ape sanctuary. After Caesar has enough of his abuse and speaks, he turns the kid's hose on him, and since Landon is still holding his activated cattle prod...well, guess. Combined with a bit of HoistByHisOwnPetard, it seems.
* ''Franchise/StarWars'': Quite a few Sith lords have used Force Lightning to kill their opponents or have had similar attempts made on their life. It's such a common technique among the dark side that it's controversial in the Star Wars universe for someone working on the light side of the force to use it.
* ''Film/TheTakingOfPelhamOneTwoThree'': The movie's mastermind chooses to commit suicide rather than be captured by the police, because if convicted he was likely to face life in prison, and he preferred dying to that. He fries himself by stepping on the live third rail in the subway.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live Action TV]]
* Attempted but averted in an episode of ''Series/TheIncredibleHulk'', where a KISS-like heavy metal singer (played by Mackenzie Phillips) plans to do this and make it look like an accident during a concert in order to teach her fans a lesson about...something or other. But when she sees David Hulk Out and the fans are still screaming for more, she realizes that her death will make no difference to them.
* ''KolchakTheNightStalker''. In the episode "The Ripper". Kolchak manages to destroy the spirit of Jack the Ripper by electrocuting him.
* ''Series/OneThousandWaysToDie'' had this happen multiple times, including to a man who [[CruelAndUnusualDeath zapped his penis off]] [[TooDumbToLive peeing on an electric fence]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu'' supplement ''The Asylum and Other Tales'', adventure "The Asylum". Doctor Freygan's laboratory has a tub into which victims are placed in order to turn them into proto-shoggoths. If a living person is in the tub when the apparatus is activated, electrical bolts slam into their body and instantly (and horribly) kill them by electrocution.
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''
** Over the years many characters have been killed by the various electricity-related spells such as Shocking Grasp, Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning and others.
** 1st Edition module S3 ''Expedition to the Barrier Peaks''. In Level II (Service Deck 5) there are areas that contain electrical equipment such as generators and transformers. If a {{PC}} decides to touch these devices with metal objects (e.g. weapons), there's a 10% chance that the character will be electrocuted and killed.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'': Phoenix is accused of killing Doug Swallow this way by pushing him onto live wires. It's not true though.
* ''VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution'' has electrified water as an occasional hazard. It does gradual damage but it can still kill you if you're not paying attention. Although you can get an augmentation that renders you immune.
* ''VideoGame/EvilGenius'' allows you to build traps to electrocute heroes infiltrating your lair.
* ''VideoGame/{{Jumper}}'' games feature very common electric currents which are an instant death for Ogmo
* In ''VideoGames/LittleBigPlanet'', if Sackboy touches an electrified material, his seams burst and he has to restart from the previous checkpoint.([[OneHitPointWonder like anything else]]) if he comes into contact with their yellow sections.
* ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' has electrified water as a hazard that damages you over time in the third zone you visit, where you get the Speed Boost. The player can accidentally kill themselves falling into it if they have low health.
* ''VideoGame/ThePunisher'': In the Rykers Island level Frank comes across a inmate strapped into an electric chair. After interrogating him the player can then choose whether or not to fry him.
* ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis'' after collecting an item from the power station needed to advance in the game, The player will then see a cutscene of a group of zombies trying to break in via the front gate.The player is then given two options, either escape through the back door or redirect power to the gate electrocuting the zombies and killing them.
*This is one way your sims can die in ''VideoGame/TheSims'', by trying to repair electrical appliances with poor mechanical/handiness skills, or (in the Seasons expansions for the second two games) being struck by lightning. Comes complete with XRaySparks.
[[/folder]]
[[folder: Webcomics]]
* ''Webcomic/EightBitTheater''. Blackmage electrocutes a group of old men to death in an old folks home with a Bolt 2 spell just for the [[ForTheEvulz sake of killing them]]. Well he also wanted to find an old man that took their gold, but he makes it pretty clear prior to that that he's mostly going there to cause mayhem, and only asks someone about the gold ''after'' he kills them.
--> '''Blackmage''': ''"Eat electric death old man!!!"''
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Azula uses lightning bending and strikes Aang in the back as he is entering into the Avatar state, threatening to end the avatar cycle for good. And Aang really does die. he stops breathing, his heart stops beating, and everything. At least until Katara revives him with water from the Spirit Oasis, subverting a permanent version of this.
* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'': After The Joker kidnaps Tim Drake (Robin), and brainwashes him into being insane like himself. The Joker tries to get Tim to to kill the Batman and prove Tim is like him. In the censored version of the scene Tim pushes The Joker into a glass container full of water, breaking it, which causes him to get tangled in electrical wires attached to the container. The Joker slips on the water and accidentally pulls an electrical switch, and the wires electrocute him to death.
* In the ''WesternAnimation/HappyTreeFriends'' episode "In A Jam", Russel is electrocuted and reduced to ashes by a shorted amplifier at the beginning. Notable for being one of the most cartoony and ''least'' gory deaths in the series.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Metalocalypse}}'': One of Dethklok's songs, "Bloodrocuted" is about an electrician who uses a pool of his own blood and an electrical outlet to fry some mercenaries who are after him.
* In ''OliverAndCompany'' Sykes' dobermans are knocked off a speeding car onto some subway tracks. One of them, named Roscoe, dies of electrocution when he falls onto an electrified subway rail. This is also a blatant case of GettingCrapPastTheRadar since Roscoe's death is pretty graphic and painful. While another dog who is killed is only ''heard'' not shown, and Sykes, who dies by being crushed by a train, is only barely shown.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': At the end of the episode “Homer's Enemy” Frank Grimes outraged at how Homer is constantly rewarded for his stupidity, goes insane, and starts mockingly mimicking risky things Homer would do and saying he's “Homer Simpson”. While doing this he grabs a high voltage cable without safety gloves in Homer's office and unintentionally electrocutes himself to death, ironically committing suicide.
* ''WesternAnimation/TitanAE'': This Creator/DonBluth movie has a HeroicSacrifice variant. Captain Korso repays Cale Tucker for saving his life by making a HeroicSacrifice, using himself as a shunt in a huge circuit breaker so that Cale can power up the ''Titan'' spacecraft. He is seen momentarily roaring in pain from the massive current flowing between the contact points.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Real Life]]
* Thomas Edison invented the electric chair when he was asked to come up with a new humane execution method to replace executions by hanging. As ThomasEdison battled with NikolaTesla, he insisted that the first execution by electric chair be carried out with the Alternating Current Tesla promoted [[SpringtimeForHitler to show people how lethal Alternating Current was]]. The first attempt failed however when the electrocution caused the convict to become unconscious but failed to stop his heart and breathing, and his blood vessels underneath ruptured and bled causing unnecessary suffering. They had to charge electricity and try again making the whole execution take 8 minutes to kill the convict. The public seeing this instead associated [[GoneHorriblyWrong ALL electricity as being bad and lethal to people, not just Alternating Current]]. This set back electricity's reputation for awhile.
[[/folder]]
