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* The Chaos Gods of ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyBattles'', ''TabletopGame/WarhammerAgeOfSigmar'' and ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' really love this trope; sure, they'll give power to anyone who commits atrocities in their names, but they reserve the biggest boons for those who sacrifice their own loved ones to them in exchange for power. Anyone can slaughter their enemies, and [[ItGetsEasier given enough time you can get comfortable with killing innocent strangers]], but it takes someone truly fallen to sacrifice their family and friends for the Chaos Gods' approval.
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* In ''VideoGame/LittleGoodyTwoShoes'', it turns out that [[spoiler:this is the final price for getting a wish from Ozzy; the wisher must sacrifice their closest loved one as the Good Company so he and his CoDragons can eat them]]. In the three main endings, including the one canon to ''VideoGame/PocketMirror'', [[spoiler:Elise ultimately makes this choice with either Rozenmarine, Freya, or Lebkuchen to get her wish for a wealthy lifestyle granted, albeit ''extremely'' reluctantly, and the guilt of sacrificing her true love for profit and luxury [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone haunts her]] for the rest of her [[GildedCage opulent yet miserable]] life]].
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* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': The villain Harm murdered the only person he ever truly loved, his own sister Greta, to obtain the "[[PureIsNotGood Purity of Heart]]" required to wield the magic sword Beowulf, since someone who's pure ''evil'' is capable of it.
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* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice2010'': The villain Harm murdered the only person he ever truly loved, his own sister Greta, to obtain the "[[PureIsNotGood Purity of Heart]]" required to wield the magic sword Beowulf, since someone who's pure ''evil'' is capable of it.
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* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'': Yoru's power allows her to turn anything she "owns" into a weapon. This destroys the object, and the weapon becomes more powerful the more she regrets destroying it. And nothing stops her from doing this to someone she falls in love with.
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* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'': Yoru's power allows her to turn anything she "owns" into a weapon. This destroys the object, and the weapon becomes more powerful the more she regrets destroying it. And nothing Nothing stops her from doing this to someone she falls in love with.with--except her own LackOfEmpathy preventing such emotions. She ends up SharingABody and her power with Asa, who ''can'' love people enough to regret sacrificing them, but she's very averse to sacrificing anyone she'd care about ''that'' much.
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[[folder:Films — Live-Action]]
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[[folder:Films — -- Live-Action]]
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* ''VideoGame/VagrantStory'': Guildenstern stabs his fiancee Samantha and offers her up as a sacrifice in order to obtain the power of {{The Dark|Side}}.
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* ''VideoGame/VagrantStory'': Guildenstern stabs his fiancee fiancée Samantha and offers her up as a sacrifice in order to obtain the power of {{The Dark|Side}}.
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[[folder:Visual Novels]]
* ''VisualNovel/FullMetalDaemonMuramasa'': This trope is the central crux of the Law of Balance. That in order to use the power of Muramasa, one has to abide by the curse to kill a loved one for everyone slain in hatred. [[spoiler:Though, unusually for this trope, it didn't start out from evil intentions. The Law of Balance was originally created to teach humanity the folly of self righteousness, that for everyone killed that you deemed evil, you also killed someone else's good. Unfortunately however, things went horribly, horribly wrong]].
[[/folder]]
* ''VisualNovel/FullMetalDaemonMuramasa'': This trope is the central crux of the Law of Balance. That in order to use the power of Muramasa, one has to abide by the curse to kill a loved one for everyone slain in hatred. [[spoiler:Though, unusually for this trope, it didn't start out from evil intentions. The Law of Balance was originally created to teach humanity the folly of self righteousness, that for everyone killed that you deemed evil, you also killed someone else's good. Unfortunately however, things went horribly, horribly wrong]].
[[/folder]]
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** In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', you need to sacrifice someone you love in order to get the Soul Stone. For Thanos, this rather limits the options, but, unfortunately, not enough.
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** In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', you need to sacrifice someone you love in order to get the Soul Stone. For Thanos, this rather limits the options, but, unfortunately, not enough. Red Skull of course, will never get his hands on the stone because he doesn’t love anyone, which is why he’s the guardian.
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* ''Manga/ChainsawMan'': Yoru's power allows her to turn anything she "owns" into a weapon. This destroys the object, and the weapon becomes more powerful the more she regrets destroying it. And nothing stops her from doing this to someone she falls in love with.
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* ''Series/LostGirl'': In the season 4 finale, "Bo's heart" must be sacrificed in order to close a portal. This is a controversial thing to ask, since Bo's in a LoveTriangle between Lauren and Dyson. That dichotomy is subverted when the answer turns out to be neither love interest but instead her {{Heterosexual Life Partner|s}} Kenzi. Kenzi ends up deciding she's it and sacrificing herself electively, to avoid Bo having to choose.
-->'''Kenzi:''' No, Dyson; she loves you, yes; she loves Lauren. But you know that it's me. I'm her heart, you know that.
-->'''Kenzi:''' No, Dyson; she loves you, yes; she loves Lauren. But you know that it's me. I'm her heart, you know that.
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* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'': Itachi implied that in order to awaken the [[MagicalEye Mangekyo Sharingan,]] an Uchiha must kill their loved ones. While Itachi did gain it with that method, the truth is that any kind of severe emotional trauma (such as losing a loved one) can awaken the eye; Itachi himself gain it when he was forced to kill his best friend Shisui because the latter knew too much about the conspiracy in Konoha.
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* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'': Itachi implied that in order to awaken the [[MagicalEye Mangekyo Sharingan,]] an Uchiha must kill their loved ones. While Itachi did gain it with that method, the truth is that any kind of severe emotional trauma (such as losing a loved one) can awaken the eye; Itachi himself gain gained it when he was forced to kill his best friend Shisui because the latter knew too much about the conspiracy in Konoha.
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* ''Fanfic/DodgingPrisonAndStealingWitches'': There is a ritual which can effectively double one's magical power... at the cost of the person's OneTrueLove.
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* ''Fanfic/DodgingPrisonAndStealingWitches'': There is a ritual which that can effectively double one's magical power... at the cost of the person's OneTrueLove.
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** In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', this is the main procedure of the BigBad [[spoiler:Ego the Living Planet, in which get children with women from diverse species to kill their mothers and use their children as human batteries so he can get more power and {{immortality}}. That includes [[ComicBook/StarLord Peter Quill]] and his mother, the latter was affected and died by cancer thanks to him.]] The extent of love is unclear, but blood connection does seem important.
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** In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', this is the main procedure of the BigBad [[spoiler:Ego the Living Planet, in which get he fathers children with women from diverse species to kill their mothers and use their children as human batteries so he can get more power and {{immortality}}. That includes [[ComicBook/StarLord Peter Quill]] and his mother, the latter was affected and died by cancer thanks to him.]] The extent of love is unclear, but blood connection does seem important.
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* ''Literature/InheritanceTrilogy'': The sacrifice of a loved one is necessary to become ruler of the TheEmpire, because the TopGod who [[PhysicalReligion sponsors the Arameri dynasty]] demands that they show their willingness to do ''anything'' for the Empire. [[spoiler:Also because rulership can only be transferred by the will of a mortal who has temporarily absorbed the power of the dead TopGod Enefa, which invariably kills them.]]
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* ''Literature/InheritanceTrilogy'': The sacrifice of a loved one is necessary to become ruler of the TheEmpire, TheEmpire because the TopGod who [[PhysicalReligion sponsors the Arameri dynasty]] demands that they show their willingness to do ''anything'' for the Empire. [[spoiler:Also because rulership can only be transferred by the will of a mortal who has temporarily absorbed the power of the dead TopGod Enefa, which invariably kills them.]]
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* One episode of ''Series/LoisAndClark'' dealt with Lois' former boyfriend who was obsessed with ancient druids, and was trying to assemble an ancient magical mask while performing human sacrifices along the way. He believed that sacrificing Lois, his true love, would be the final step. Ultimately subverted, he obviously never sacrificed Lois, but was able to use the mask's powers enough to give Superman a run for his money.
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* One episode of ''Series/LoisAndClark'' dealt with Lois' former boyfriend who was obsessed with ancient druids, and was trying to assemble an ancient magical mask while performing human sacrifices along the way. He believed that sacrificing Lois, his true love, would be the final step. Ultimately subverted, subverted; he obviously never sacrificed Lois, Lois but was able to use the mask's powers enough to give Superman a run for his money.
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* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'': The Nameless One's [[TheSociopath Practical Incarnation]] willingly sacrificed Deionarra at the Fortress of Regret, knowing that her feelings for him would bind her soul there and allow him to use her to get through it. He ultimately failed in his quest but her spirit was able to help his next incarnation. This is actually an inversion; he used her love for him, but had none for her.
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* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'': The Nameless One's [[TheSociopath Practical Incarnation]] willingly sacrificed Deionarra at the Fortress of Regret, knowing that her feelings for him would bind her soul there and allow him to use her to get through it. He ultimately failed in his quest but her spirit was able to help his next incarnation. This is actually an inversion; he used her love for him, him but had none for her.
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[[/folder]]
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* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': A Dark Curse requires you to sacrifice the person you love most in the world to cast it. The ramifications and loopholes of this are explored with unusual depth in the third season. In order to work the magic spell that transforms worlds, transporting the entire cast from the Enchanted Forest to Storybrooke, Maine, Regina has to sacrifice her beloved father Henry. More generally in the series, removing your own heart and locking it away increases your magical power and makes you less vulnerable, but at the cost of your positive emotions, leading to increasingly sociopathic behaviour.
to:
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': ''Series/OnceUponATime'':
** A Dark Curse requires you to sacrifice the person you love most in the world to cast it. The ramifications and loopholes of this are explored with unusual depth in the third season. In order to work the magic spell that transforms worlds, transporting the entire cast from the Enchanted Forest to Storybrooke, Maine, Regina has to sacrifice her beloved fatherHenry. Henry.
** More generally in the series, removing your own heart and locking it away increases your magical power and makes you less vulnerable, but at the cost of your positive emotions, leading to increasingly sociopathic behaviour.
** A Dark Curse requires you to sacrifice the person you love most in the world to cast it. The ramifications and loopholes of this are explored with unusual depth in the third season. In order to work the magic spell that transforms worlds, transporting the entire cast from the Enchanted Forest to Storybrooke, Maine, Regina has to sacrifice her beloved father
** More generally in the series, removing your own heart and locking it away increases your magical power and makes you less vulnerable, but at the cost of your positive emotions, leading to increasingly sociopathic behaviour.
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[[folder:Video Game]]
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[[folder:Video Game]]Games]]
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* ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'': This is the entire point of the Sacrifice required to become a demon, as first revealed in the Guardians of Desire arc. By consigning that which you most love to be eaten by demons, the would-be Apostle (or Godhand) cuts themself off from humanity and opens themselves to evil.
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* ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'': ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'': This is the entire point of the Sacrifice required to become a demon, as first revealed in the Guardians of Desire arc. By consigning that which you most love to be eaten by demons, the would-be Apostle (or Godhand) cuts themself off from humanity and opens themselves to evil.
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* ''Videogame/DevilMayCry 3'': Arkham sacrificed his wife to demons in a bid to become a god.
* ''Videogame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'':
* ''Videogame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'':
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* ''Videogame/DevilMayCry 3'': ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'': Arkham sacrificed his wife to demons in a bid to become a god.
*''Videogame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'':''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'':
*
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* ''{{VideoGame/Fable}}''
** After [[BigBad Jack of Blades]] is defeated in ''Videogame/FableI'', you are given a choice between destroying the Sword of Aeons that Jack spent the game trying to claim, or using it to kill your sister Teresa and unlocking its power for your own use.
** After [[BigBad Jack of Blades]] is defeated in ''Videogame/FableI'', you are given a choice between destroying the Sword of Aeons that Jack spent the game trying to claim, or using it to kill your sister Teresa and unlocking its power for your own use.
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* ''{{VideoGame/Fable}}''
''VideoGame/{{Fable}}''
** After [[BigBad Jack of Blades]] is defeated in''Videogame/FableI'', ''VideoGame/FableI'', you are given a choice between destroying the Sword of Aeons that Jack spent the game trying to claim, or using it to kill your sister Teresa and unlocking its power for your own use.
** After [[BigBad Jack of Blades]] is defeated in
* Late in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEchoesShadowsOfValentia'', [[spoiler:after Berkut is driven insane by the revelation that Alm is the true heir to the Rigelian throne and that everything he ever fought for or believed in was AllForNothing, he sells his fiancée Rinea's soul to MadGod Duma in exchange for the power to kill Alm in a mad attempt at revenge]].
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* ''Videogame/VagrantStory'': Guildenstern stabs his fiancee Samantha and offers her up as a sacrifice in order to obtain the power of {{The Dark|Side}}.
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* ''Videogame/VagrantStory'': ''VideoGame/VagrantStory'': Guildenstern stabs his fiancee Samantha and offers her up as a sacrifice in order to obtain the power of {{The Dark|Side}}.
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* ''VideoGame/TheGranstreamSaga'' has a rare heroic example. Before being able to fight the FinalBoss, Eon is faced with the SadisticChoice to sacrifice the soul of one of his two {{Love Interest}}s to power up the MacGuffin, as its power is equal to the feelings invested in it, and there is no way out of this choice.
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!! Adopted by Eievie after dming OG
->'''ComicBook/RedSkull:''' To ensure that whoever possesses it, understands its power. The stone demands a sacrifice.
->'''ComicBook/{{Thanos}}:''' Of what?
->'''Red Skull:''' In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. A soul for a soul.
->'''ComicBook/RedSkull:''' To ensure that whoever possesses it, understands its power. The stone demands a sacrifice.
->'''ComicBook/{{Thanos}}:''' Of what?
->'''Red Skull:''' In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. A soul for a soul.
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->'''ComicBook/{{Thanos}}:'''
'''ComicBook/{{Thanos}}:''' Of
->'''Red
'''Red Skull:''' In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. A soul for a soul.
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* ''1001 Science Fiction Weapons'' has the Witherslant Masters, who sell futuristic weapons in a LittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday. Normally, the price for one of their gun is assassinating a certain number of people as chosen by them. However, their Omega Model gun (one only available if specifically requested), has a much simpler price - killing the one whom the client loves the most. Mind you; he's not told who the person is, he must figure it out on his own.
to:
* ''1001 Science Fiction Weapons'' has the Witherslant Masters, who sell futuristic weapons in a LittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday. Normally, the price for one of their gun is assassinating a certain number of people as chosen by them. However, their Omega Model gun (one only available if specifically requested), has a much simpler price - -- killing the one whom the client loves the most. Mind you; he's not told who the person is, he must figure it out on his own.
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!! Adopted by Eievie after dming OG
->'''ComicBook/RedSkull:''' To ensure that whoever possesses it, understands its power. The stone demands a sacrifice.
->'''ComicBook/{{Thanos}}:''' Of what?
->'''Red Skull:''' In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. A soul for a soul.
-->-- ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''
HumanSacrifice is an evil way of obtaining power, hardly anyone argues with that. But sometimes, when you need more power, a simple sacrifice is not enough. You need something more evil. You need someone really close to you. Your parents, your child... maybe even your OneTrueLove. The price is high... and so is the reward.
Note: the trope isn't about when a relative is simply easier to get one's hands upon than a random person; it's when a random person simply won't do.
SubTrope to PowerAtAPrice, HumanSacrifice, TargetedHumanSacrifice, EquivalentExchange. Compare SadisticChoice and KillTheOnesYouLove, where it's not something good happening if you accept the deal, but something really bad happening when you ''don't''. Can be considered the ultimate example of IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten. In some rare cases, the victim might be willing, in which case we have HeroicSacrifice. For the inanimate version of the trope, see SentimentalSacrifice.
----
!!Examples:
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'': This is the entire point of the Sacrifice required to become a demon, as first revealed in the Guardians of Desire arc. By consigning that which you most love to be eaten by demons, the would-be Apostle (or Godhand) cuts themself off from humanity and opens themselves to evil.
* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'': Itachi implied that in order to awaken the [[MagicalEye Mangekyo Sharingan,]] an Uchiha must kill their loved ones. While Itachi did gain it with that method, the truth is that any kind of severe emotional trauma (such as losing a loved one) can awaken the eye; Itachi himself gain it when he was forced to kill his best friend Shisui because the latter knew too much about the conspiracy in Konoha.
* ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'': In Season 3, Andrian Geko sacrifices his girlfriend to Exodia so he could obtain the power to control it (something possible thanks to everyone being trapped in another dimension), outright admitting that this matters more to him than her. Surprisingly, she is ''alright'' with this and ''encourages him to hurry up''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': The "Unthinkable" arc starts with [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] apparently turning over a new leaf, discarding his TinTyrant look and tracking down his old love Valeria... only to reveal that his true motive was to [[https://i.imgur.com/0qCoj.jpg sacrifice "something irreplaceable" to demons]], who use her tanned skin to craft Doom a new suit of armor that [[AmplifierArtifact boosts his previously-neglected magical abilities]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/DodgingPrisonAndStealingWitches'': There is a ritual which can effectively double one's magical power... at the cost of the person's OneTrueLove.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films - Live-Action]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse''
** In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', you need to sacrifice someone you love in order to get the Soul Stone. For Thanos, this rather limits the options, but, unfortunately, not enough.
** In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', this is the main procedure of the BigBad [[spoiler:Ego the Living Planet, in which get children with women from diverse species to kill their mothers and use their children as human batteries so he can get more power and {{immortality}}. That includes [[ComicBook/StarLord Peter Quill]] and his mother, the latter was affected and died by cancer thanks to him.]] The extent of love is unclear, but blood connection does seem important.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/BookOfAThousandDays'': This is how animal power can be gained through a deal with the desert shamans. If a person sells their soul to them, he must remorselessly kill a close relative; the more he loved the person he kills, the greater his power will be. After that sacrifice, the desert shaman summons a predator spirit into the person, who then gains the added strength and cunning of that beast as well as the ability to change into its shape.
* ''Literature/ColdfireTrilogy'': Tarrant gained his immortality by ritually sacrificing his family.
* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' book ''Literature/SkinGame'', the villainous Nicodemus conscripts Dresden into helping him break into Hades's vault for powerful treasures within. Part of this involves a door that can only be opened by the ghost of someone killed in the chamber. The ''only'' person Nicodemus trusted to do this was [[spoiler: his own daughter, Deirdre]], a fact that devastates him, but doesn't stop him.
* ''Literature/TheFourProfoundWeaves'': The last of the titular arts is to weave magical cloth out of [[HumanResources bone]] and [[InsubstantialIngredients death]]. However, it only works if the weaver truly cares about the death, so Benesret killed her husbands for her magic, and Uiziya's husband when Uiziya asked to be taught. Uiziya ultimately realizes that [[spoiler:genuine compassion for the spirits of the dead works just as well, no murder required.]]
* ''Literature/InheritanceTrilogy'': The sacrifice of a loved one is necessary to become ruler of the TheEmpire, because the TopGod who [[PhysicalReligion sponsors the Arameri dynasty]] demands that they show their willingness to do ''anything'' for the Empire. [[spoiler:Also because rulership can only be transferred by the will of a mortal who has temporarily absorbed the power of the dead TopGod Enefa, which invariably kills them.]]
* ''Literature/JudgeDee'': According to legend, the judge's AncestralWeapon (a sword named Rain Dragon) was made by a smith who declared (after failing to make the sword eight times) that if he managed to forge it, he'd sacrifice his wife to the river god. He succeeded, promptly beheaded his wife, and was killed in a thunderstorm right after. The sword ends up [[spoiler:used to kill Chiao Tai]] in the last book.
* ''Literature/KushielsLegacy'': The ReligionOfEvil of Drujan honors TheAntiGod Angra Mainyu through "ill thoughts, ill words, ill deeds"; its Aka Magi are endowed supernatural powers like a TouchOfDeath through a ritual wherein they sacrifice someone they love. Ironically, this holds back their leader, the Mahrkagir, from becoming an avatar of Angra Mainyu, since he's a complete monster who's [[EvilCannotComprehendGood never loved anybody]].
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': In their world's {{Mythopoeia}} -- which may or may not have historical basis, thanks to LegendFadesToMyth -- there was once a legendary PrecursorHero who fought against and ultimately triumphed against a worldwide catastrophe. In the version of the story told by the followers of R'hllor (the most prominent version in the books) this hero is Azor Ahai, and his success was thanks in part to a magic FlamingSword he created. The dark side to the legend that's not always told, however, is that after several attempts to forge his magic sword, Azor Ahai finally succeeded by using his own wife, Nissa Nissa, as a HumanSacrifice in his [[RuleOfThree third and final]] attempt.
-->'''Salladhor Saan:''' A hundred days and a hundred nights he labored on the third blade, and as it glowed white-hot in the sacred flames, he summoned his wife. Nissa Nissa, he said to her, for that was her name, bare your breast, and know that I love you best of all that is in this world. She did this thing, why I cannot say, and Azor Ahai thrust the smoking sword through her living heart. It is said that her cry of anguish and ecstacy left a crack across the face of the moon, but her blood and her soul and her strength and her courage all went into the steel. Such is the tale of the forging of Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes.
* ''Literature/TheWarlordChronicles'': At the very end, [[spoiler:[[MerlinAndNimue Nimue uses her former teacher and lover Merlin]] as a human sacrifice to cast a spell that dooms Arthur and, much to Nimue's chagrin, all of Britain to the Saxons.]]
* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': From ''Silver Linings Chapter 2: Parts 2 to 9'': The Purple Witch uses magic of this nature, she herself intended to sacrifice [[OffingTheOffspring her daughter]].
--> the working to create that conjuration required the sacrifice of something loved.
* ''{{Literature/Wulfrik}}'': At the end of the novel, having given up his ambitions of kingship over his tribe and finally accepted the fate the Chaos gods had for him, Wulfrik has to kill and dismember his love Hjordis (offscreen, fortunately), using her face, heart, womb and hair as sacrifices in the same way he offers up the skull, heart, guts and dying breath of the monsters and champions he usually kills.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* The ''Series/{{Bloodride}}'' episode "Ultimate Sacrifice" is centered around a rock that gives one money from sacrificing animals (and even people) upon it. The more you are attached to the sacrifice, the larger the amount received.
* One episode of ''Series/LoisAndClark'' dealt with Lois' former boyfriend who was obsessed with ancient druids, and was trying to assemble an ancient magical mask while performing human sacrifices along the way. He believed that sacrificing Lois, his true love, would be the final step. Ultimately subverted, he obviously never sacrificed Lois, but was able to use the mask's powers enough to give Superman a run for his money.
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': A Dark Curse requires you to sacrifice the person you love most in the world to cast it. The ramifications and loopholes of this are explored with unusual depth in the third season. In order to work the magic spell that transforms worlds, transporting the entire cast from the Enchanted Forest to Storybrooke, Maine, Regina has to sacrifice her beloved father Henry. More generally in the series, removing your own heart and locking it away increases your magical power and makes you less vulnerable, but at the cost of your positive emotions, leading to increasingly sociopathic behaviour.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''1001 Science Fiction Weapons'' has the Witherslant Masters, who sell futuristic weapons in a LittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday. Normally, the price for one of their gun is assassinating a certain number of people as chosen by them. However, their Omega Model gun (one only available if specifically requested), has a much simpler price - killing the one whom the client loves the most. Mind you; he's not told who the person is, he must figure it out on his own.
* ''TabletopGame/ChroniclesOfDarkness'': [[BloodCountess Mother Liesel]] sustains her immortality with ritual {{Blood Bath}}s that require the sacrifice of someone who loves her -- a weighty [[MagicPrerequisite prerequisite]] with an equivalent payoff, per the PowerAtAPrice rules of BloodMagic. She runs a charismatic {{Cult}} to maintain a supply... the magic doesn't require reciprocation or consent.
* ''TabletopGame/CurseOfStrahd'': The dark vestige Vampyr can grant players the knowledge of how to turn into a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent fully-fledged undying vampire]] without being bitten by one and thus becoming their thrall. The first step in this ritual is to kill another person who loves or reveres you and to drink their blood. According to [[MultipleChoicePast contradictory lore]], the module's BigBad, Strahd von Zarovich, may have become a vampire this way, specifically by killing and exsanguinating his adoring younger brother Sergei.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': Ascending through the tiers ("Circles") of sorcery requires increasingly great sacrifices on the sorcerer's part. The [=2E=] corebook gives "casting aside" their OneTrueLove as an example of what might be needed to unlock the last, and strongest, Solar Circle.
* ''TabletopGame/TheGatesOfHell'':
** [[WouldntHurtAChild Amdusius]] grants power to children who kill their own parents. If the parents are dead, another two persons are designated by the Duke.
** With Bael, a person must personally kill someone close to him (a wife or a child, for example), just to get an audience.
* ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'': The Prince in Tatters, an [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Abyssal spirit]] of betrayal, will only [[DealWithTheDevil form a pact]] with a summoner who offers up someone who sincerely loves them.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': {{Summoning Ritual}}s require a payment suiting the summoned Outsider's alignment and power level. As ChaoticEvil[[invoked]] [[TheCorrupter Corrupters]], {{Succubi|AndIncubi}} gladly trade their services for the sacrifice of a beloved family member.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theatre]]
* A more literal example is present in ''Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung'', where Alberich gains the ability to forge the titular ArtifactOfDoom by renouncing Love, sacrificing his capacity to feel any sort of affection in exchange for the promise of power over the world.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Game]]
* ''VideoGame/CrusaderKingsII'': In the ''Monks and Mystics'' DLC, admission into the Assassins requires a character to murder their spouse or a close relative as part of their initiation.
* ''Videogame/DevilMayCry 3'': Arkham sacrificed his wife to demons in a bid to become a god.
*''Videogame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'':
** The Ebony Blade, signature weapon of the Daedric Prince Mephala, grows more powerful if used to murder someone who trusts the wielder.
** Boethia the Prince of Plots demands a sacrifice of someone who trusts the player enough to follow them into battle before they will allow the player to retrieve the Ebony Mail.
* ''{{VideoGame/Fable}}''
** After [[BigBad Jack of Blades]] is defeated in ''Videogame/FableI'', you are given a choice between destroying the Sword of Aeons that Jack spent the game trying to claim, or using it to kill your sister Teresa and unlocking its power for your own use.
** In ''VideoGame/FableIII'', the Bloodstone Bludgeon grants a damage bonus if the wielder uses it to kill five people who love them. There's also the Tenderiser, which gains the ability to corrupt its wielder if they use it to kill three spouses.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Yuna learns that to acquire the Final Aeon someone she is close to must sacrifice themselves in order to be transformed into said Aeon.
* ''VideoGame/PathfinderWrathOfTheRighteous'': Completing the [[OurLichesAreDifferent Lich]] Mythic Path requires the PlayerCharacter to make a HumanSacrifice of their current LoveInterest.
* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'': The Nameless One's [[TheSociopath Practical Incarnation]] willingly sacrificed Deionarra at the Fortress of Regret, knowing that her feelings for him would bind her soul there and allow him to use her to get through it. He ultimately failed in his quest but her spirit was able to help his next incarnation. This is actually an inversion; he used her love for him, but had none for her.
* ''Videogame/VagrantStory'': Guildenstern stabs his fiancee Samantha and offers her up as a sacrifice in order to obtain the power of {{The Dark|Side}}.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': The villain Harm murdered the only person he ever truly loved, his own sister Greta, to obtain the "[[PureIsNotGood Purity of Heart]]" required to wield the magic sword Beowulf, since someone who's pure ''evil'' is capable of it.
[[/folder]]
->'''ComicBook/RedSkull:''' To ensure that whoever possesses it, understands its power. The stone demands a sacrifice.
->'''ComicBook/{{Thanos}}:''' Of what?
->'''Red Skull:''' In order to take the stone, you must lose that which you love. A soul for a soul.
-->-- ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''
HumanSacrifice is an evil way of obtaining power, hardly anyone argues with that. But sometimes, when you need more power, a simple sacrifice is not enough. You need something more evil. You need someone really close to you. Your parents, your child... maybe even your OneTrueLove. The price is high... and so is the reward.
Note: the trope isn't about when a relative is simply easier to get one's hands upon than a random person; it's when a random person simply won't do.
SubTrope to PowerAtAPrice, HumanSacrifice, TargetedHumanSacrifice, EquivalentExchange. Compare SadisticChoice and KillTheOnesYouLove, where it's not something good happening if you accept the deal, but something really bad happening when you ''don't''. Can be considered the ultimate example of IfYoureSoEvilEatThisKitten. In some rare cases, the victim might be willing, in which case we have HeroicSacrifice. For the inanimate version of the trope, see SentimentalSacrifice.
----
!!Examples:
[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
* ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'': This is the entire point of the Sacrifice required to become a demon, as first revealed in the Guardians of Desire arc. By consigning that which you most love to be eaten by demons, the would-be Apostle (or Godhand) cuts themself off from humanity and opens themselves to evil.
* ''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'': Itachi implied that in order to awaken the [[MagicalEye Mangekyo Sharingan,]] an Uchiha must kill their loved ones. While Itachi did gain it with that method, the truth is that any kind of severe emotional trauma (such as losing a loved one) can awaken the eye; Itachi himself gain it when he was forced to kill his best friend Shisui because the latter knew too much about the conspiracy in Konoha.
* ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'': In Season 3, Andrian Geko sacrifices his girlfriend to Exodia so he could obtain the power to control it (something possible thanks to everyone being trapped in another dimension), outright admitting that this matters more to him than her. Surprisingly, she is ''alright'' with this and ''encourages him to hurry up''.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'': The "Unthinkable" arc starts with [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] apparently turning over a new leaf, discarding his TinTyrant look and tracking down his old love Valeria... only to reveal that his true motive was to [[https://i.imgur.com/0qCoj.jpg sacrifice "something irreplaceable" to demons]], who use her tanned skin to craft Doom a new suit of armor that [[AmplifierArtifact boosts his previously-neglected magical abilities]].
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Fan Works]]
* ''Fanfic/DodgingPrisonAndStealingWitches'': There is a ritual which can effectively double one's magical power... at the cost of the person's OneTrueLove.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Films - Live-Action]]
* ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse''
** In ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'', you need to sacrifice someone you love in order to get the Soul Stone. For Thanos, this rather limits the options, but, unfortunately, not enough.
** In ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', this is the main procedure of the BigBad [[spoiler:Ego the Living Planet, in which get children with women from diverse species to kill their mothers and use their children as human batteries so he can get more power and {{immortality}}. That includes [[ComicBook/StarLord Peter Quill]] and his mother, the latter was affected and died by cancer thanks to him.]] The extent of love is unclear, but blood connection does seem important.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* ''Literature/BookOfAThousandDays'': This is how animal power can be gained through a deal with the desert shamans. If a person sells their soul to them, he must remorselessly kill a close relative; the more he loved the person he kills, the greater his power will be. After that sacrifice, the desert shaman summons a predator spirit into the person, who then gains the added strength and cunning of that beast as well as the ability to change into its shape.
* ''Literature/ColdfireTrilogy'': Tarrant gained his immortality by ritually sacrificing his family.
* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' book ''Literature/SkinGame'', the villainous Nicodemus conscripts Dresden into helping him break into Hades's vault for powerful treasures within. Part of this involves a door that can only be opened by the ghost of someone killed in the chamber. The ''only'' person Nicodemus trusted to do this was [[spoiler: his own daughter, Deirdre]], a fact that devastates him, but doesn't stop him.
* ''Literature/TheFourProfoundWeaves'': The last of the titular arts is to weave magical cloth out of [[HumanResources bone]] and [[InsubstantialIngredients death]]. However, it only works if the weaver truly cares about the death, so Benesret killed her husbands for her magic, and Uiziya's husband when Uiziya asked to be taught. Uiziya ultimately realizes that [[spoiler:genuine compassion for the spirits of the dead works just as well, no murder required.]]
* ''Literature/InheritanceTrilogy'': The sacrifice of a loved one is necessary to become ruler of the TheEmpire, because the TopGod who [[PhysicalReligion sponsors the Arameri dynasty]] demands that they show their willingness to do ''anything'' for the Empire. [[spoiler:Also because rulership can only be transferred by the will of a mortal who has temporarily absorbed the power of the dead TopGod Enefa, which invariably kills them.]]
* ''Literature/JudgeDee'': According to legend, the judge's AncestralWeapon (a sword named Rain Dragon) was made by a smith who declared (after failing to make the sword eight times) that if he managed to forge it, he'd sacrifice his wife to the river god. He succeeded, promptly beheaded his wife, and was killed in a thunderstorm right after. The sword ends up [[spoiler:used to kill Chiao Tai]] in the last book.
* ''Literature/KushielsLegacy'': The ReligionOfEvil of Drujan honors TheAntiGod Angra Mainyu through "ill thoughts, ill words, ill deeds"; its Aka Magi are endowed supernatural powers like a TouchOfDeath through a ritual wherein they sacrifice someone they love. Ironically, this holds back their leader, the Mahrkagir, from becoming an avatar of Angra Mainyu, since he's a complete monster who's [[EvilCannotComprehendGood never loved anybody]].
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'': In their world's {{Mythopoeia}} -- which may or may not have historical basis, thanks to LegendFadesToMyth -- there was once a legendary PrecursorHero who fought against and ultimately triumphed against a worldwide catastrophe. In the version of the story told by the followers of R'hllor (the most prominent version in the books) this hero is Azor Ahai, and his success was thanks in part to a magic FlamingSword he created. The dark side to the legend that's not always told, however, is that after several attempts to forge his magic sword, Azor Ahai finally succeeded by using his own wife, Nissa Nissa, as a HumanSacrifice in his [[RuleOfThree third and final]] attempt.
-->'''Salladhor Saan:''' A hundred days and a hundred nights he labored on the third blade, and as it glowed white-hot in the sacred flames, he summoned his wife. Nissa Nissa, he said to her, for that was her name, bare your breast, and know that I love you best of all that is in this world. She did this thing, why I cannot say, and Azor Ahai thrust the smoking sword through her living heart. It is said that her cry of anguish and ecstacy left a crack across the face of the moon, but her blood and her soul and her strength and her courage all went into the steel. Such is the tale of the forging of Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes.
* ''Literature/TheWarlordChronicles'': At the very end, [[spoiler:[[MerlinAndNimue Nimue uses her former teacher and lover Merlin]] as a human sacrifice to cast a spell that dooms Arthur and, much to Nimue's chagrin, all of Britain to the Saxons.]]
* ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse'': From ''Silver Linings Chapter 2: Parts 2 to 9'': The Purple Witch uses magic of this nature, she herself intended to sacrifice [[OffingTheOffspring her daughter]].
--> the working to create that conjuration required the sacrifice of something loved.
* ''{{Literature/Wulfrik}}'': At the end of the novel, having given up his ambitions of kingship over his tribe and finally accepted the fate the Chaos gods had for him, Wulfrik has to kill and dismember his love Hjordis (offscreen, fortunately), using her face, heart, womb and hair as sacrifices in the same way he offers up the skull, heart, guts and dying breath of the monsters and champions he usually kills.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* The ''Series/{{Bloodride}}'' episode "Ultimate Sacrifice" is centered around a rock that gives one money from sacrificing animals (and even people) upon it. The more you are attached to the sacrifice, the larger the amount received.
* One episode of ''Series/LoisAndClark'' dealt with Lois' former boyfriend who was obsessed with ancient druids, and was trying to assemble an ancient magical mask while performing human sacrifices along the way. He believed that sacrificing Lois, his true love, would be the final step. Ultimately subverted, he obviously never sacrificed Lois, but was able to use the mask's powers enough to give Superman a run for his money.
* ''Series/OnceUponATime'': A Dark Curse requires you to sacrifice the person you love most in the world to cast it. The ramifications and loopholes of this are explored with unusual depth in the third season. In order to work the magic spell that transforms worlds, transporting the entire cast from the Enchanted Forest to Storybrooke, Maine, Regina has to sacrifice her beloved father Henry. More generally in the series, removing your own heart and locking it away increases your magical power and makes you less vulnerable, but at the cost of your positive emotions, leading to increasingly sociopathic behaviour.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* ''1001 Science Fiction Weapons'' has the Witherslant Masters, who sell futuristic weapons in a LittleShopThatWasntThereYesterday. Normally, the price for one of their gun is assassinating a certain number of people as chosen by them. However, their Omega Model gun (one only available if specifically requested), has a much simpler price - killing the one whom the client loves the most. Mind you; he's not told who the person is, he must figure it out on his own.
* ''TabletopGame/ChroniclesOfDarkness'': [[BloodCountess Mother Liesel]] sustains her immortality with ritual {{Blood Bath}}s that require the sacrifice of someone who loves her -- a weighty [[MagicPrerequisite prerequisite]] with an equivalent payoff, per the PowerAtAPrice rules of BloodMagic. She runs a charismatic {{Cult}} to maintain a supply... the magic doesn't require reciprocation or consent.
* ''TabletopGame/CurseOfStrahd'': The dark vestige Vampyr can grant players the knowledge of how to turn into a [[OurVampiresAreDifferent fully-fledged undying vampire]] without being bitten by one and thus becoming their thrall. The first step in this ritual is to kill another person who loves or reveres you and to drink their blood. According to [[MultipleChoicePast contradictory lore]], the module's BigBad, Strahd von Zarovich, may have become a vampire this way, specifically by killing and exsanguinating his adoring younger brother Sergei.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'': Ascending through the tiers ("Circles") of sorcery requires increasingly great sacrifices on the sorcerer's part. The [=2E=] corebook gives "casting aside" their OneTrueLove as an example of what might be needed to unlock the last, and strongest, Solar Circle.
* ''TabletopGame/TheGatesOfHell'':
** [[WouldntHurtAChild Amdusius]] grants power to children who kill their own parents. If the parents are dead, another two persons are designated by the Duke.
** With Bael, a person must personally kill someone close to him (a wife or a child, for example), just to get an audience.
* ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'': The Prince in Tatters, an [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Abyssal spirit]] of betrayal, will only [[DealWithTheDevil form a pact]] with a summoner who offers up someone who sincerely loves them.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': {{Summoning Ritual}}s require a payment suiting the summoned Outsider's alignment and power level. As ChaoticEvil[[invoked]] [[TheCorrupter Corrupters]], {{Succubi|AndIncubi}} gladly trade their services for the sacrifice of a beloved family member.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Theatre]]
* A more literal example is present in ''Theatre/TheRingOfTheNibelung'', where Alberich gains the ability to forge the titular ArtifactOfDoom by renouncing Love, sacrificing his capacity to feel any sort of affection in exchange for the promise of power over the world.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Game]]
* ''VideoGame/CrusaderKingsII'': In the ''Monks and Mystics'' DLC, admission into the Assassins requires a character to murder their spouse or a close relative as part of their initiation.
* ''Videogame/DevilMayCry 3'': Arkham sacrificed his wife to demons in a bid to become a god.
*''Videogame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'':
** The Ebony Blade, signature weapon of the Daedric Prince Mephala, grows more powerful if used to murder someone who trusts the wielder.
** Boethia the Prince of Plots demands a sacrifice of someone who trusts the player enough to follow them into battle before they will allow the player to retrieve the Ebony Mail.
* ''{{VideoGame/Fable}}''
** After [[BigBad Jack of Blades]] is defeated in ''Videogame/FableI'', you are given a choice between destroying the Sword of Aeons that Jack spent the game trying to claim, or using it to kill your sister Teresa and unlocking its power for your own use.
** In ''VideoGame/FableIII'', the Bloodstone Bludgeon grants a damage bonus if the wielder uses it to kill five people who love them. There's also the Tenderiser, which gains the ability to corrupt its wielder if they use it to kill three spouses.
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': Yuna learns that to acquire the Final Aeon someone she is close to must sacrifice themselves in order to be transformed into said Aeon.
* ''VideoGame/PathfinderWrathOfTheRighteous'': Completing the [[OurLichesAreDifferent Lich]] Mythic Path requires the PlayerCharacter to make a HumanSacrifice of their current LoveInterest.
* ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'': The Nameless One's [[TheSociopath Practical Incarnation]] willingly sacrificed Deionarra at the Fortress of Regret, knowing that her feelings for him would bind her soul there and allow him to use her to get through it. He ultimately failed in his quest but her spirit was able to help his next incarnation. This is actually an inversion; he used her love for him, but had none for her.
* ''Videogame/VagrantStory'': Guildenstern stabs his fiancee Samantha and offers her up as a sacrifice in order to obtain the power of {{The Dark|Side}}.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'': The villain Harm murdered the only person he ever truly loved, his own sister Greta, to obtain the "[[PureIsNotGood Purity of Heart]]" required to wield the magic sword Beowulf, since someone who's pure ''evil'' is capable of it.
[[/folder]]
