History Main / LiterallyShatteredLives

* In ''VideoGame/AwesomePossumKicksDrMachinosButt'', one of Awesome's death animations is him shattering apart and a tombstone popping up among his remains.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Amorphous}} Amorphous+]]'': If you're touched by a [[BlobMonster gloople]] when frozen by a Frostie's explosion, you shatter and die. Fortunately, you can do the same to glooples that get frozen.
* The ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' series applies this to victims of more traditional [[TakenForGranite petrification]]. And if you kill someone with a cold-based spell like Cone of Cold, there's a chance that you will change the target into a solid statue made of frost, which will shatter after a few seconds.
* In ''[[VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac The Binding Of Isaac: Repentance]]'', enemies killed by freezing attacks can be frozen, which causes them to shatter into 10 ice shards upon being broken.
* In ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'', the player can use the Winter Blast plasmid on a splicer, making it freeze in place If the player attacks the splicer enough before it thaws, it shatters into a million pieces. Easy way to dispatch enemies, but if the player does this, he doesn't get any phat loot from the splicer's corpse (since there isn't one). The same rule applies in ''VideoGame/BioShock2''[='s=] multiplayer, as with a shattered body, you can't photograph the missing corpse for research bonus.
* In ''VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift'', Arakune's gag reels feature him being hardened and shattered to pieces when Rachel uses the "Sword of Morning Glory" on him. Since it happened on a gag reel, this isn't considered as a canon event.
** Jin Kisaragi's [[FinishingMove Astral]] [[OneHitKO Heat]] involves freezing the opponent in a block of ice and then shattering it.
* This occurs in both ''Bloodstained'' games;

* ''VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel'' has cryogenic weaponry: bullets and laser beams that have a chance to freeze enemies solid. Any damage dealt to enemies after they're frozen is amplified based on the type of damage dealt - with cryogenic damage getting less of a boost, but still a decent one. Lethal damage while frozen will cause the enemy to shatter.
** Enemies with cryogenic weapons or environmental hazards that cause cryogenic damage will slow down your Vault Hunter, but not freeze them solid.

* The fire extinguisher in ''VideoGame/DeadRising'' freezes zombies and shatters upon touching or attacking them.
** This also happens to [[spoiler:Evan]] in Dead Rising 2: Off The Record after being frozen by his own nitrogen bombs and being pushed over by Frank.
* ''Videogame/DeepRockGalactic:'' Anything that's frozen solid takes triple damage, and so any team with a [[FreezeRay Cryo Cannon-packing]] Driller will be shattering a lot of icy alien statues indeed. Quite useful against Exploders, seeing they don't detonate this way. This is also especially useful against Macteras and any other flying menace, because you don't even need to shatter them yourself; just falling out of the skies while frozen is enough.
* ''VideoGame/DiabloII'': Frozen creatures shatter when killed by any means, not just blunt force. This is one of the more effective ways of dealing with things that are liable to be resurrected or used somehow by something nearby, though it's an inconvenience for the {{Necromancer}} CharacterClass, who loses out on potential minions.

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', if a frozen or petrified enemy takes a critical hit, they shatter and instantly die.

* ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'': The freeze-ray gun shoots a stream of projectiles that deal damage as normal. If the target is an organic {{mook}}, it freezes solid at 1 HP (mechanical foes are destroyed and bosses die normally). Any sort of damage causes them to shatter, and Duke automatically kicks them when he gets close. However, leaving them alone causes them to unfreeze after a few seconds, though still at 1 HP. The exact same mechanics apply to Duke in case he freezes himself with [[HyperDestructiveBouncingBall stray bouncy projectiles]].

* ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar3'' featured a post-mortem variant of this: those that were in the cities hit by the [[KillSat Hammer of Dawn]] were reduced to ash statues. When walking through the ruins of these cities, merely brushing against the statues will cause them to crumble.

* ''VideoGame/GodOfWar''

* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' the Spirit Monk can learn to do this with Ice Shard technique.
** The first time you meet the Forest Shadow she turns the odd messenger from the Pilgrim's Rest Inn whom you were just talking to into a statue and shatters him. She then jumps on the player character and turns them to stone too, but the PC somehow breaks free and she runs away. [[spoiler:Of course, later she says that the attack was a ploy to get you to investigate the inn.]]
* ''VideoGame/JazzJackrabbit 2''

* ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'':
** Ice Breath doesn't kill enemies; any enemy immobilized by Ice Breath has to be charged into it to shatter and kill it.
** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyroTheEternalNight'': Dark Spyro kills Gaul by turning him to stone and shattering him.

* ''Franchise/MassEffect'' has cryo ammunition, which freezes your enemies. You have the option to melee them, causing them to shatter into hundreds of pieces.
** Mordin in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' has the Cryo Blast skill, which is basically the same thing with fewer bullets. Additionally, using Throw or Pull (or other similar biotics) will instantly shatter a frozen enemy. Or you could explode them the old-fashioned way: shooting them.

* Frozen enemies in the ''VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork'' series, as well as its [[VideoGame/MegaManStarForce spiritual successor]], will take double damage from any attack that has the [[UnblockableAttack "breaking"]] property attached to it.

* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
** ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'': This is averted, where you can freeze enemies in ice blocks and then smash them, but only the ice actually shatters. The enemy stays intact and just falls offscreen in the usual fashion.
** ''VideoGame/MarioPartyDS'': Dry Bones falls to pieces after getting beaten in his boss battle in Story Mode.

* Done to [[spoiler:[[DarkIsNotEvil Hy]][[NiceGuy drei]][[BigGood gon]]]] by [[NoNonsenseNemesis Kyu]][[TheFatalist rem]] in ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonGatesToInfinity''. It turns out to be [[SubvertedTrope subverted]]: as the [[GaiasVengeance Voice of Life]], [[spoiler:Hydreigon's]] existence is tied to the world. As long as it exists, so will he. It just takes a while to regenerate his form.
* The ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon'' Pokédex entry for [[AnIcePerson Vanillish]] states that this goofy and rather harmless-looking Pokémon tends to make very good use of this trope on its enemies.

* In ''VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy'', the petrification status means that, while damage is reduced numerically, every physical blow against a petrified target means they have a chance (based on their Luck stat) of being shattered. Somehow, for Raidou, this [[NonLethalKO still only makes him "faint from his injuries"]], albeit [[ItsAWonderfulFailure not for long]].
** ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'' uses the same [[TakenForGranite petrification]] system except instead of having its own chance it's based on if the attack is a CriticalHit and they're also ''guaranteed'' an instant-KO from Force-damage. Always a 'fun' problem to deal with...
*** In most ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' games that feature a Force element, spells of this element have the ability to always shatter petrified enemies.
** ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'' also keeps this, but adds in some deaths from toppling over as ice sculptures, and one variation with a flash-fried character blowing away as ash (thankfully, these only happen in cutscenes).
** ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIf'' features an unholy cross between this trope, NiceJobBreakingItHero ([[JustForPun pun fully intended]]), and VillainsNeverLie.
** Implied in some games where frozen (or shocked) characters are guaranteed to take a critical hit when attacked.
** In ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV'', if a demon dies by an Ice spell, it will be frozen completely and then shatter to pieces. Bosses also perish by being covered with glowing cracks and exploding into shards of stained glass.

* In ''VideoGame/SaintsRowIV'' you can freeze enemies with the Blast and Buff superpowers, after which they can usually be shattered by any form of damage. You can get a similar result in ''VideoGame/SaintsRowGatOutOfHell'' with [[TakenForGranite Stone Blast]] and Coldflame Aura.

%%* ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' does this at the end of the battle against Chaos 6 in ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure''. [[StayingAlive It doesn't last though]].
* In ''VideoGame/SpaceQuestVTheNextMutation'', Roger has to freeze his LoveInterest Beatrice to keep her from becoming a mutant. Other than CryonicsFailure, attempting to pick up her frozen body results in her breaking into hundreds of ice cubes and a NonstandardGameOver.

* In ''VideoGame/StarOcean'', being frozen would lock you in place and if [[CherryTapping you were lightly stricken]], you'd die instantly.

%%* This is the fate of anyone hit by the Ryunka in ''Anime/BirdyTheMighty Decode''. And if that wasn't enough, their remains proceed to melt as well.

** Subverted and PlayedForLaughs with Kin'emon in the Punk Hazard arc. He is petrified by the Shinokuni gas, and then accidentally knocked down by Brook, who [[OhCrap appropriately reacts]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone with horror]]. The cracked parts crumble, revealing it was just a shell as Kin'emon instantly [[DisneyDeath regains his conscience]] and freaks out over his son.

* ''Fanfic/HonokasBizarreAdventure'': In her final fight against [[StarterVillain Yoshikawa Fuhai]], Honoka decides to kill him with her Stand [[Vibroweapon All Star]] to shatter him to pieces [[PaperPeople while he is flatten against a brick wall]] so her family will never be targetted by him. [[DramaticIrony Honoka is unaware that Fuhai survived the attack]], [[AndIMustScream but unable to bring himself back together or even die peacefully]].

* In ''[[VideoGame/BubbleBobble Bubble Symphony]]'', one of [[TheManyDeathsOfYou the many]] '''[[WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs exaggerated]]''' [[TheManyDeathsOfYou ways to die]] is getting hit by an enemy snowman's snowball, causing [[InstantIceJustAddCold an ice block to form around the character]] and quickly shatter, and then he/she dies.

* Leftfield: In the Creator/ChrisCunningham-directed "Afrika Shox" music video, Afrika Bambaataa gets gradually broken apart by a bystander, himself, by a breakdancer, and with a car.

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', if you're turned to stone, you can be shattered by being attacked. Furthermore, underwater, you shatter instantly. On a side note, if a character is shattered, you can't switch in new party members in that spot and must do the remainder of the fight shorthanded.

* In ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', if Rukia manages to freeze an enemy solid with her zanpakutō, she can then shatter both the enemy and the ice encasing them into bits. Her first use of the technique in the story is against Di Roy after she regains her powers, while her most impressive is in the Thousand Year Blood War arc against [[spoiler:Äs Nodt after achieving her Bankai]].

%%* This is a common way for Ice users in ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'', like Hitsugaya and Rukia, to defeat their opponents.

* In ''VideoGame/AwesomePossumKicksDrMachinosButt'', one of Awesome's death animations is him shattering apart and a tombstone popping up among his remains. (The other, for the record, is him rotting away into a skeleton.)

* A proposed method of human corpse disposal is [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Promession "promession,"]] where the corpse would be frozen with liquid nitrogen and subjected to strong vibrations until the body disintegrated. However, as of 2015, it appears that the company who came up with the idea went under without ever proving the concept.

* This ridiculous Print Ad that encourages children to drink more milk, because "[[https://awellfedworld.org/wp-content/uploads/Mexican-Association-milk-ad.jpg children who don't drink milk are more frail]]".

* The Frost Shards weapon from ''VideoGame/{{Hexen}}'' allows a Mage to do this to an enemy. ''Hexen II'' gives this power to the Crusader in the form of the Ice Staff. In both cases the enemy shatters on its own if left alone, though any attack other than the ice magics, eveb hopping on them in ''II'', will destroy the ice statue as well.

* Magsarion does this to the archdemon Frederica in ''LightNovel/AvestaOfBlackAndWhite'' as she is being turned into a gemstone statue by the rival archdemon Kaikhosru. Though this is one of those times where doing so is not a good thing for the breakee, as shattering her causes her HealingFactor to kick in, restoring her to pristine condition.

* In ''LightNovel/ReZero'', this happens to [[GroundhogDayLoop Subaru]] no less than ''three times'', each time after being frozen by [[spoiler:Puck's true form]]. The third is the truest to the trope, as he gradually breaks into several pieces, and combined with the circumstances, it causes his biggest HeroicBSOD[=/=]FreakOut of the entire series.

* 2009 ''Series/{{Bones}}'' episode "The Science in the Physicist".
** Notable for deconstructing this a bit; the corpse was flash frozen in liquid nitrogen but shattered by [[spoiler:vibrating it in an earthquake simulator]]. The actual results of simply dropping it are demonstrated when [[ItMakesSenseInContext Angela is hit in the head by a bouncing turkey.]]

* ''Series/{{Farscape}}''
** In the cliffhanger ending to the series finale, John Crichton and Aeryn Sun get hit by a weapon which crystallizes them, then shatters them into thousands of tiny balls. They got better in the follow-up movie. [[spoiler:Though, as it turned out when they were reconstructed, Aeryn's baby wasn't inside her. It was still inside Rigel, who had collected the balls that fell into the ocean.]]
** In "The Maltese Crichton", after being [[TakenForGranite turned into a statue]] John is decapitated by an assassin, who then dumps his head into an AcidPool. Fortunately, the statue was meant to survive 80 cycles of airborne corrosion--someone fishes out the head before there's any lasting damage, reassembles John and de-petrifies him.
* In the ''Series/{{Gotham}}'' episode "Mr. Freeze", the eponymous supervillain leaves a frozen victim in the middle of the street. Gordon and Bullock accidentally hit the victim with their car, shattering him. In another episode, he kills someone by freezing her and then shattering her immediately after.

* In Season 3 of ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', this happened to an over-intrusive reporter, as well as [[spoiler:Knox]].
** Yet another ''Heroes'' season 3 example: At the end, Tracy [[spoiler:died herself this way, although the preview of season 4 makes it clear she's NotQuiteDead, making her a rare example of surviving this]].
* The BBC adaptation of ''Series/JonathanStrangeAndMrNorrell'' at one point features a character who is magically turned into a porcelain statue, which is then smashed to pieces.
* In ''Series/KamenRiderKiva'', people who have had their LifeEnergy drained by [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Fangire]] become translucent and fragile like glass, though we only ever see one person actually shatter. The same result also applies to Fangire themselves when they are killed.

-->--''"I am sorry about your friend, Mick. I know you loved her to pieces."'' [shatters her]
* On ''Series/{{Life|2007}}'' Crewes accidentally shattered a murder victim who had been frozen.
* The ''"Film/{{Eegah}}"'' episode of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' begins with Tom Servo trying to freeze Crow to absolute zero. When Joel tries to get Crow out of the freezing chamber, he accidentally shatters Crow.

* In ''Series/TheOuterLimits1995'' episode "The Heist", an alien (which may have acted as the A/C for a crashed alien spacecraft) attempts to eliminate all heat sources in its vicinity. We get to see it freeze a female soldier so that she looks like an ice sculpture, and then a drop of water from an overhanging icicle is enough to get the "sculpture" to fall to pieces.

* Happened in the ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' episode "Forever". The MonsterOfTheWeek attempted to turn Clark to wax, and in the process, reversed his powers on himself. Moments later, he fell from a stairway.
** A version of this trope is hinted at in the first season episode "Cool". The Villain of the Week is a high school jock who has been turned into a sort of heat vampire by meteorite fragments. He sucks the heat away from a girl and we are shown her freezing. He then lets her body fall to the floor, out of frame, and we hear a sound like shattering glass.

** In the MirrorUniverse episode, Doctor Phlox tortures and then kills a Tholian prisoner by dropping the temperature in its cell until its exoskeleton shatters.
* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "By Any Other Name", the enemy aliens turn two crew members into styrofoam dodecahedrons and then crush one to show their power.

* A not quite fatal variant appears in the old show ''Series/{{V 1983}}'' - a plant releases liquid nitrogen, and as the workers are rushing to escape, one worker (whose hand had been frozen) stumbles and shatters it against a railing. This was when Creator/RobertEnglund, as the friendly alien, showed THEY could easily survive temperatures at the level of liquid nitrogen unharmed.
* In season 2 of ''Series/{{Warehouse 13}}'', a woman was stabbed with a knife that turned its victims to glass. The murderer pushed her over and she shattered.

* In ''Series/TheXFiles'' episode "Roland", a scientist is murdered when his head is immersed in liquid nitrogen and then dropped on the floor.

* An effect of the [[WierdWeather Psychlone]] in the horror novel of that name by Creator/GregBear.

* There was also a TV movie called ''Film/FatalError'' starring Janine Turner and Antonio Sabato, the plot of which was a computer virus which became a biological virus and infected people through their cable boxes, causing them to petrify and shatter.

* This happens in the underrated 1954 science fiction movie ''Film/{{Gog}}''. A compromised computer AI locks two scientists in a giant freezer room that freezes them solid within minutes. They shatter upon falling over. (Although the shattering occurs off-camera, it's still a pretty gruesome death for a movie made in this era.)