History Main / InstantDeathStab

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* In ''Theatre/WestSideStory'', Riff (despite being based on [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet Mercutio]] has only a moment after Bernardo stabs him to [[TakeUpMySword hand his knife to Tony]] before dropping dead, and Bernardo dies even more instantly when Tony stabs him in turn.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': KnifeNut Belkar often drops enemies instantly with a stab to the head or body. {{Justified|Trope}} in that it's loosely an RPGMechanicsVerse, so {{Mooks}} suffer CriticalExistenceFailure as soon as they run out of HitPoints unless it's more dramatically appropriate for them to linger.

SisterTrope to InstantDeathBullet. Contrast AgonizingStomachWound, where getting stabbed (or shot) in the stomach makes someone die slowly.

Death by bladed weapon is frequently portrayed as being more instantaneous than it is in real life. Whether it's a knife flying into someone's head, someone literally being stabbed InTheBack, or a SlashedThroat, death is often portrayed as instantaneous. In the midst of combat, a single slash from the hero is enough to make enemy mooks drop ''instantly'' dead, [[ArmorIsUseless regardless of any armor they may be wearing.]] No one is ever shown to sustain more than a single blow, attempt to limp or crawl away, or writhe in pain on the ground.

* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' had the [[FanNickname Murder Knife]], a blade that the Gray Warden would pull out to kill characters in cutscenes. One stab and the target dropped dead.

Death by bladed weapon is frequently portrayed as being more instantaneous than it is in real life. Whether it's a knife flying into someone's head, someone literally being stabbed InTheBack, or a SlashedThroat, death is often portrayed as instantaneous. In the midst of combat a single slash from the hero is enough to make enemy mooks drop ''instantly'' dead, [[ArmorIsUseless regardless of any armor they may be wearing.]] No one is ever shown to sustain more than a single blow, attempt to limp or crawl away, or writhe in pain on the ground.

Death by bladed weapon is frequently portrayed as being more instantaneous than it is in real life. Whether it's a knife flying into someone's head, someone literally being stabbed InTheBack, or a SlashedThroat, death is often portrayed as instantaneous. In the midst of combat when the hero is fighting their way through enemy mooks, a single slash is enough to make them drop ''instantly'' dead, [[ArmorIsUseless regardless of any armor they may be wearing.]] No one is ever shown to sustain more than a single blow, attempt to limp or crawl away, or writhe in pain on the ground.

Death by bladed weapon is frequently portrayed as being more instantaneous than it is in real life. Whether it's a knife flying into someone's head, someone literally being stabbed InTheBack, or a SlashedThroat, death is often portrayed as instantaneous. Even in the midst of combat when the hero is fighting his way through enemy mooks, a single slash is enough to make them drop ''instantly'' dead, [[ArmorIsUseless regardless of any armor they may be wearing.]] No one is ever shown to sustain more than a single blow, attempt to limp or crawl away, or writhe in pain on the ground.

Death by bladed weapon is frequently portrayed as being more instantaneous than it is in real life. Whether it's a knife flying into someone's head, someone literally being stabbed InTheBack, a SlashedThroat, a gash across the chest, or an unexpected dagger strike against advancing enemy, death is often portrayed as instantaneous, with the victim collapsing immediately, not even able to breathe for a second more. It may even take a few seconds for other characters to realize that death has occurred.

* In most ''Videogame/CallOfDuty'' games starting with ''Modern Warfare'', the player has a QuickMelee knife attack which inflicts a OneHitKill under normal circumstances.
-->[[Music/MiracleOfSound Roll up]] and see the terrifying ripper with his blade! / His magic knife will end your life; of one-hit-kills it's made!\\

* Zig-Zagged in VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim, depending on your skill level in sneak and various melee weapons. Played straighter and straighter at higher levels.

* Justified in ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' and ''LightNovel/KaraNoKyoukai''. Being stabbed usually isn't fatal in that series... unless someone bearing the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception stabs you in your point of death. If that happens, [[NoSavingThrow you die. No matter what, you die]]. ''Period.'' At best, you can hold on for about thirty seconds if you've lived for a really long time before the point of death was hit, but that's about it.

** In "Absolute Candor", Tenqem dies as soon as Elnor's tan qalanq goes through his neck; green blood oozes from the wound before the ruffian's [[OffWithHisHead head slides off]].
** In "The Impossible Box", the lives of three Romulan soldiers come to an abrupt end the moment they meet Elnor's blade, which includes at least two slit throats and flying arterial spray.

'''This is a {{Death Trope|s}}, so spoilers are unmarked.'''

*** It's also averted with [[spoiler:Hugh]], who becomes the AlmostDeadGuy after Narissa's knife pierces his jugular vein.
** In "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2", the footage that Altan Soong manages to retrieve from Saga's optical processors shows that her systems shut down right after [[spoiler:Sutra]] stabs her left eye. Saga's right eye is still intact, but the fact that it doesn't record anything further proves that she's dead.

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** Get enough perks in 1-handed or 2-handed, and a power strike after charging against a humanoid enemy technically kills them ''before'' your weapon even hits them, due to the striking animation and hurtboxes not being exactly synchronised.

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[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'': [[BizarreAlienBiology Gems]] are made of HardLight, and can take quite a beating before "[[DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist poofing]]" and regenerating themselves; however, Gems that have been stabbed or otherwise pierced will poof near-instantaneously, often only getting a few seconds to realize what happened before their form gives way.

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!AKA Instant Death Slash

!Index: WeaponsAndWieldingTropes.