History Main / KillTheHostBody

* ''Fanfic/AllAssortedAnimorphsAUs'': Besides all the instances of this from canon, Alloran is shot in the head in several chapters in order to kill Visser Three along with him. In "What if Marco was the one split in half in #32?", [[spoiler:Robot Marco kills Tom, Eva, and many other human-controllers as well]]; in "What if Tom was infested by a member of the Yeerk Peace Movement?", [[spoiler:Rachel shoots Eva through the chest just before Visser One can tell everyone that the "Andalite bandits" are human.]]

* ''Fanfic/AllAssortedAnimorphsAUs'': Besides all the instances of this from canon, Alloran is shot in the head in several chapters in order to kill Visser Three along with him. In "What if Marco was the one split in half in #32?", [[spoiler:Robot Marco kills Tom, Eva, and many other human-controllers as well.]]

* ''Fanfic/{{Daemorphing}}'': It happens a lot. The Animorphs don’t really have the ability to kill Yeerks any other way, and Aftran reveals that not killing but inflicting severe damage is actually worse - the Yeerk will survive but the host will be killed as useless. Not doing this to Human-controllers gets called out for the specisism it is and is one of the things that leads to them being identified as humans.

* The ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}'' doesn't seem to have any qualm with killing their opponents, even when most of them had been enslaved by the Yeerks to serve as their hosts.

A form of ShootTheHostage where the characters deal with a BodySnatcher in the simplest and most brutal way they can: by killing the host. While this obviously negates the need for a lengthy and complicated BanishingRitual or surgical procedure, it shows a particular disregard for the life of whatever hapless fool's body was taken over, so this is usually only performed by {{Pragmatic Hero}}es. Sometimes, it doesn't even work as intended, causing the possessing force to [[FightingAShadow "float freely"]] and go on its merry way to finding another body to hijack, perhaps even [[LaserGuidedKarma the people who killed the previous host]]. Naturally, such an act is frequently seen as a form of ShootTheDog.

* ''Film/{{Fallen}}'': Hobbes' final, desperate plan to stop the demon Azazel is to lure his current host out to a remote location, then killing Azazel's body [[ThanatosGambit and then himself]] to deny him a new body, since Azazel can't survive for long without one. [[spoiler:However, [[CruelTwistEnding it turns out that he can possess animals as well and escapes in a nearby cat]].]]

** Jericho tries to kill the Devil by throwing him in front of a subway train. This proves fatal for the guy he's possessing, but the Devil leaves the body [[spoiler:so he can possess Jericho's instead]].

* In ''Film/TheMatrix'', Agents operate by possessing anyone who hasn't been "unplugged", and killing them kills the host body. Unfortunately, all the Agent has to do is possess someone else in order to come right back after you. This is best shown when Agent Smith overwrites the body of a bum on a subway platform to fight Neo. After an extended fight where Neo holds his own against him, Neo manages to throw Smith into the path of a on-coming train. The victory serves to be short since Smith possesses one of the train passengers and emerges re-vitalized, full clips of bullets and all. Neo, still hurting and with no ammo, beats feet out of the station.

* In ''Film/TheMatrix'', Agent Smith overwrites the body of a bum on a subway platform to fight Neo. After an extended fight where Neo holds his own against him, Neo manages to throw Smith into the path of a on-coming train. The victory serves to be short since Smith possesses one of the train passengers and emerges re-vitalized, full clips of bullets and all. Neo, still hurting and with no ammo, beats feet out of the station.

* ''Fanfic/CanterlotDeportationAgency'': It's how Bree exorcises a Wraith from her friend's corpse, by damaging it too much.

* In ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken'' Uratha often don't bother trying to exorcise a spirit from a Claimed who has been possessed longer than a month or two, because the longer one is possessed the more likely it is that the exorcism will kill them anyway. Hosts on the other hand, always kill the humans they [[PossessingADeadBody possess and drive around their corpses]].

See also ShootTheHostage.

A form of ShootTheDog where the characters deal with a BodySnatcher in the simplest and most brutal way they can: by killing the host. While this obviously negates the need for a lengthy and complicated BanishingRitual or surgical procedure, it shows a particular disregard for the life of whatever hapless fool's body was taken over, so this is usually only performed by {{Pragmatic Hero}}es. Sometimes, it doesn't even work as intended, causing the possessing force to [[FightingAShadow "float freely"]] and go on its merry way to finding another body to hijack, perhaps even [[LaserGuidedKarma the people who killed the previous host]].

** Daniel actually brings this up in season 5 when Jacob/Selmak want to involve him in a mission to kill all the major Goa'uld at a summit they plan to infiltrate, which would inevitably mean killing the hosts. Jacob points out that the host of a System Lord has been possessed for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years and have been exposed to the sarcophagus many times, so killing them is really just putting them out of their [[AndIMustScream endless torment]]. However, the mission later has to aborted for other reasons.

* ''Webcomic/DaughterOfTheLilies'': When a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent greater Drath]] inhabits an elf's body, taking [[LivingBodysuit complete control]] of it and inflicting a nightmarish TransformationOfThePossessed, Orrig's mercenary crew decide they have no choice but to kill it to end its rampage, despite their misgivings over killing the host. [[spoiler:They're spared the choice by an archmage who exorcises the Drath harmlessly.]]

->''“'''Analysis''': Stiffening … of limbs. Difficulty … in movement. '''Assessment''': Onset … of rigor mortis … in host body … imminent. … No! Get … up! Get up … [[ComicBook/LexLuthor Luthor]]! I … will not be betrayed … by your … human weakness …”''
-->-- '''ComicBook/{{Brainiac}}''', ''ComicBook/WhatEverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow''

* ''ComicBook/WhatEverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow'': Brainiac takes over Lex Luthor's body, but Lex is still able to ask a super-empowered Lana Lang to [[DyingAsYourself kill him]]. After Lana [[MercyKill reluctantly complies]], Braniac is able to survive temporarily until rigor mortis sets in. Once Luthor’s body is unusable, Brainiac dies almost immediately afterwards.

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* ''Series/StargateSG1'': Daniel actually brings this up when Jacob/Selmak want to involve him in a mission to kill all the major Goa'uld at a summit they plan to infiltrate, which would inevitably mean killing the hosts. Jacob points out that the host of a System Lord has been possessed for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years and have been exposed to the sarcophagus many times, so killing them is really just putting them out of their [[AndIMustScream endless torment]]. However, the mission later has to aborted for other reasons.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'': Daniel actually brings this up when Jacob/Selmak want to involve him in a mission to kill all the major Goa'uld at a summit they plan to infiltrate, which would inevitably involve killing the hosts. Jacob points out that the host of a System Lord has been possessed for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years and have been exposed to the sarcophagus many times, so killing them is really just putting them out of their [[AndIMustScream endless torment]]. However, the mission later has to aborted for other reasons.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'' anime, episode #49 "Rukia's Nightmare". Rukia Kuchiki's lieutenant Kaien Shiba is possessed by a Hollow. When Captain Ukitake realizes that he can't save Kaien, he decides to kill his body. However, he starts spitting up blood and can't carry out his decision. The possessed Kaien attacks Rukia and she stabs him through the chest with her zanpakuto, killing him.

* ''Series/StargateSG1'': Daniel actually brings this up when Jacob/Selmak want to involve him in a mission to kill all the major Goa'uld at a summit they plan to infiltrate, which would inevitably involves killing the hosts. Jacob points out that the host of a System Lord has been possessed for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years and have been exposed to the sarcophagus many times, so killing them is really just putting them out their [[AndIMustScream endless torment]]. However, the mission later has to aborted for other reasons.

* ''Literature/TheMachineriesOfEmpire'': [[spoiler:The Hexarchate]] tries to kill the legendary, mad undead general Jedao by launching a {{Magitek}} bomb at the human his wraith is [[WillingChanneler anchored to]]. However, the supernatural nature of the bomb lets him protect his host from the worst of its effect, and [[spoiler:the attack convinces the host to surrender her body to him so he can destroy the Hexarchate on her behalf.]]

* In the cancelled ''Toys/{{BIONICLE}}'' book ''Invasion'' (the events of which eventually made their way into the released ''BIONICLE Encyclopedia Updated''), Matoro's body becomes possessed by Makuta Teridax while the former is [[AstralProjection using the Kanohi Iden]]. The other Toa Inika force Makuta out by threatening to destroy Matoro's body, showing what lengths they would be willing to go.
* Creator/StephenKing's short story ''I Am The Doorway'' ends with the suicidal version of this trope. The protagonist, an astronaut possessed by an alien EldritchAbomination during a trip to space, plans to kill himself to prevent the entity from controlling him.

-->'''Satan:''' ''Fool! You are but a man, and I AM FOREVER!''