History Main / HighVoltageDeath

* ''Literature/TheBadSeed'': And adaptations: 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 [[Film/TheBadSeed1956 the 1956 film version]] due to Hays Code being in effect at the time, and with it ExecutiveMeddling making clear that they couldn't allow a criminal to get away with their crimes, the filmmakers tacked on a scene at the end where Rhoda is killed by a BoltOfDivineRetribution.

* ''Literature/TheBadSeed'': And adaptations: 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.

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 write a High Voltage Death as 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 more graphic ways.

* In "[[Recap/MidsomerMurdersS6E4 A Tale of Two Hamlets]]", Frank Webster, the second {{Victim of the Week}}, is murdered when the killer hooks up his exercise bike in the gymnasium to the mains power.

* ''Film/Gremlins2TheNewBatch'' has Billy killing off the Gremlin horde 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?

!!As this is a {{Death Trope|s}}, [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff unmarked spoilers abound]]. [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned Beware]].
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* One of the possible ways to kill a person ''VideoGame/YandereSimulator'' is to cause a water fountain to leak to create a puddle of water, sabotage a nearby electric socket to electrify the puddle and giving a person salty snacks to cause them to run to the fountain to drink, thus leading to them to be electrocuted to death. Hilariously, Yan-chan can also electrocute ''[[TooDumbToLive herself]]'' if she's not careful about where she steps. [[spoiler: In [[{{Prequel}} 1980s mode]] this is implied to be the 'canon' elimination method for getting rid of Ai Doruyashi, via sabotaging her microphone.]]

* ''WebAnimation/MetaRunner'': [[BigBad Dr. Sheridan]] meets his [[KarmicDeath well-deserved]] end when Marco plants several of his hacking devices on his face and shoving him into his own server, causing a chain reaction that basically ''cooks'' him. By the time it stops, he’s been reduced to a grey, charred husk.

** ''WebAnimation/MetaRunner'': [[BigBad Dr. Sheridan]] meets his [[KarmicDeath well-deserved]] end when Marco plants several of his hacking devices on his face and shoving him into his own server, causing a chain reaction that basically ''cooks'' him. By the time it stops, he’s been reduced to a grey, charred husk.

* Played with then played straight in ''Series/Forever2014'' when a man appears to have been killed by suffocation, but it turns out a low but steady electrical current was used to make his diaphragm seize up, preventing him from breathing. Later the same killer kidnaps Henry and tortures him with painful high voltages, but [[spoiler: when he tries to finish him off, Henry is able to shift his hand enough to grab hold of the killer, causing the current to run through him as well, disabling him.]]

* ''Series/MyLifeIsMurder'': In "All That Glitters", the VictimOfTheWeek is a DragQueen is dies in a seeming accident after faulty stage lights electrify the stage. However, Detective Harry Henare is not convinced and asks Alexa to investigate.

* In ''The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight'', a member of the title group scales a utility pole outside the office window of their mob boss, Antonio "Baccala" Vestrummo, as part of an assassination attempt. He raises a throwing knife... straight into high-voltage wires, fatally electrocuting himself. The lights in Baccala's office flicker briefly, but he remains otherwise oblivious to the failed attempt on his life.

* In ''Series/TheAdventuresOfSuperman'' episode "[[Recap/TheAdventuresOfSupermanS1E15DoubleTrouble Double Trouble]]", the villains of the week sequester ComicBook/{{Jimmy|Olsen}} in a room which can become electrified if they throw a switch. They try it, but Superman is too fast for them.

* ''VideoGame/{{The Punisher|THQ}}'': 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.

* In ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestIV'', Roger can die this way by either tampering with the arcade change machine at the Galaxy Galleria, or walking into or licking the force field surrounding Ulence Flats.

* ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'': One of the most notoriously annoying levels in the game is an underwater level where you have to swim through obstacles that can zap the turtles with electricity if you don't time your movements right. There are many of them, they're hard to avoid, and they will kill you over time if you're not ''extremely'' careful with timing your movements.

* ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' has [[DirtyCoward Dylan Gould]], [[BitchInSheepsClothing a Deception agent]] suffering this fate when fighting with Sam over the Control Pillar for the Space Bridge to help the Decepticons complete their plan ([[YouWillBeSpared he was promised that they would spare him after their takeover]]). As he's boasting that he saved Cybertron and continues talking-down to him, [[ShutUpHannibel Sam knocks him into the Pillar]], electrocuting Dylan to death.

* [[DirtyCoward Dylan Gould]], from ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'', [[BitchInSheepsClothing a Deception agent]] suffers this fate when fighting with Sam over the Control Pillar for the Space Bridge to help the Decepticons complete their plan ([[YouWillBeSpared he was promised that they would spare him after their takeover]]). As he's boasting that he saved Cybertron and continues downtalking to him, Sam knocks him into the Pillar, electrocuting Dylan to death.

This is a death trope so '''[[Administrivia/SpoilersOff spoilers will be unmarked.]]'''