History Main / MakeSureHesDead

* Possible, but a bad idea, in ''VideoGame/{{Allegiance}}.'' Players whose ships are destroyed wind up in [[EscapePod escape pods]], limping their way back to base to get a new ship and rejoin the action. The enemy ''can'' shoot the escape pod... but that just respawns the player at the base immediately.

* ''WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012'': In "The Super Shredder," Splinter and Shredder end up falling down the deep chasm in the Undercity. In the next episode, "Darkest Plight," Shredder climbs up and noting that Splinter is "a resilient old rat" doesn't dismiss the possibility that he survived the fall, and orders his men to scour every inch of the chasm and make sure Splinter is dead. As it turns out, Splinter is indeed still alive, and the Turtles find him first.

** Attempted in ''Film/FridayThe13thPartVIJasonLives'', which sees Tommy still haunted by his encounter with Jason, and because of this, he goes to Jason grave to cremate his body to make sure he never rises again. Unfortunately, this goes horribly wrong when Tommy, in a fit of rage by the sight of Jason, grabs a metal fence post to stab it through Jason's corpse as the fence post acts as a lightning rod; this resurrects Jason, the very thing Tommy was trying to prevent.

* ''Film/FridayThe13thTheFinalChapter'': During the climax of the film, Tommy grabs Jason's machete and chops halfway into his head with it, [[EyeScream destroying his left eye]]. As Tommy and Trish are hugging in relief, Jason seems about to pull off a FingerTwitchingRevival... and when Tommy sees, he freaks out, grabs the machete, and starts chopping away at Jason's body.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''Literature/StarterVillain'' opens with the death of reclusive billionaire Jake Baldwin. At his funeral, his nephew Charlie learns that Uncle Jake was a supervillain and literally everyone else in attendance was sent to make sure he really is dead - including by thermographic camera to make sure the body was cold, by trying to inject air bubbles into its veins to cause a fatal stroke in case he wasn't already dead, and by trying to stab the body.

One of many calling cards for the NoNonsenseNemesis. Justified version of DesecratingTheDead; related to ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill and RasputinianDeath (if it's only the subsequent attempts that work). Failure to do this causes a response similar to WhyDontYaJustShootHim (in this case, ''Why Don't Ya Just Shoot Him Again?''). The DoubleTap to the head is a common method of ensuring someone is really dead. A kill may be confirmed to someone else via DecapitationPresentation. In settings where resurrection is possible, this trope can overlap with DeaderThanDead.

* ''ComicBook/BatmanTheCult'', [[DarkMessiah Deacon Joseph Blackfire]], the main villain, has a totem in his likeness that in hallucinations appears far taller than it is. However, after Blackfire dies, Batman does not take the chance of it being mystical and proceeds to [[GasolineDousing douse the thing in gasoline]] [[FireKeepsItDead and set fire to it to keep the Deacon dead]]. Too bad Bruce didn't account for a CosmicRetcon [[ComicBook/New52 caused by]] [[ComicBook/FlashpointDCComics a then-dead JLA teammate, the mythical Pandora]] and [[spoiler:([[ComicBook/DCRebirth as revealed later on]]) [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} a blue, naked man]]]] screwing things up and [[ComicBook/BatmanEternal bringing the SOB back]].

* ''ComicBook/BatmanTheCult'', [[DarkMessiah Deacon Joseph Blackfire]], the main villain, has a totem in his likeness that in hallucinations appears far taller than it is. However, after Blackfire dies, Batman does not take the chance of it being mystical and proceeds to [[GasolineDousing douse the thing in gasoline]] [[FireKeepsItDead and set fire to it to keep the Deacon dead]]. Too bad Bruce didn't account for a CosmicRetcon [[ComicBook/New52 caused by]] [[ComicBook/FlashpointDCComics a then-dead JLA teammate, the mythical Pandora]] and [[spoiler:([[ComicBook/DCRebirth as revealed later on]]) [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} a blue, naked man]]]] screwing things up and [[ComicBook/BatmanEternal bring the SOB back]].

* ''ComicBook/BatmanTheCult'', [[DarkMessiah Deacon Joseph Blackfire]], the main villain, has a totem in his likeness that in hallucinations appears far taller than it is. However, after Blackfire dies, Batman does not take the chance of it being mystical and proceeds to [[GasolineDousing douse the thing in gasoline]] [[FireKeepsItDead and set fire to it to keep the Deacon dead]]. Too bad Bruce didn't account for a CosmicRetcon [[ComicBook/New52 caused by]] [[ComicBook/FlashpointDCComics a then-dead JLA teammate, the mythical Pandora]] and [[spoiler:([[ComicBook/DCRebirth as revealed later on]] [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} a blue naked man]]]] screwing things up and [[ComicBook/BatmanEternal bring the SOB back]].

* ''ComicBook/BatmanTheCult'', [[DarkMessiah Deacon Joseph Blackfire]], the main villain, has a totem in his likeness that in hallucinations appears far taller than it is. However, after Blackfire dies, Batman does not take the chance of it being mystical and proceeds to [[GasolineDousing douse the thing in gasoline]] [[FireKeepsItDead and set fire to it to keep the Deacon dead]]. Too bad Bruce didn't account for a CosmicReboot [[ComicBook/New52 caused by]] [[ComicBook/FlashpointDCComics a then-dead JLA teammate, the mythical Pandora]] and [[spoiler:([[ComicBook/DCRebirth as revealed later on]] [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} a blue naked man]]]] screwing things up and [[ComicBook/BatmanEternal bring the SOB back]].

* ''ComicBook/BatmanTheCult'', [[DarkMessiah Deacon Joseph Blackfire]], the main villain, has a totem in his likeness that in hallucinations appears far taller than it is. However, after Blackfire dies, Batman does not take the chance of it being mystical and proceeds to douse the thing in gasoline and set fire to it to keep the Deacon dead.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maschalismos Maschalismos]] is the real-world zontanecrological practice of preparing a corpse so that it can't rise from the dead.

* After staking Vampire-Lucy in Literature/{{Dracula}}, Van Hellsing has her head removed and then filled with garlic. It appears, given later Vampire-deaths, that removing the head of a dead vampire removes their [[NoImmortalInertia Immortal Inertia]] and they revert to a human corpse of appropriate age. Since Lucy's corpse was too fresh to immediately rot (as, for example, {{Dracula}} himself did), filling the mouth with garlic is probably a way of making sure it doesn't come back as something undead in the meantime.
** In an example of FridgeBrilliance, he's actually combining several methods of vampire killing. He didn't know WHICH myth was true!

* After the player defeats Jack Lupino in ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'', the next storyboard sequence begins with Max putting another full mag of rounds into Lupino's body. Whether it's an example of this trope (and a sensible precaution given that Lupino was high on [[PsychoSerum something best described as "PCP meets LSD"]]) or Max simply getting a bit carried away is left slightly unclear.

* In [[DeathWorld evil biomes]] in ''VideoGame/DwarfFortress'', this (via butchering) is an absolute necessity unless you want anything that dies (or the ''body parts'' of anything that dies) to reanimate and attack you again. Butchering can be problematic with sentient creatures, as dwarven ethics disallow the butchering of sentients. Plus, if you're not careful, necromancers can still revive butchered skins and bones. Dumping corpses into [[LavaAddsAwesome magma]] or crushing them with a Dwarven Atom Smasher is more reliable.
** The update to v0.40 has slightly relaxed these requirements. [[ChunkySalsaRule "Pulping" body parts]] with blunt-force trauma is now possible, which makes them immune to Animate Dead.

* ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin'': You're going to find a LOT of enemies who look dead but are just sleeping or playing dead. Even enemies found hanging on a rope. Burning these bodies is a good way of ensuring that they're dead without wasting precious bullets AND looting their burning corpses! Just make sure you don't keep throwing matches on the ground when your enemy is hanged - wastes supplies. Also, most enemies [[ChunkySalsaRule whose heads have been completely blown off are usually dead]].
** In the sequel, you don't get matches, meaning you have to use bullets to shoot enemies who are playing dead. However, you do get an awesome finishing stomp for enemies who fake their deaths after getting shot.

* ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'': At the end of ''[[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity Arkham City]]'', ComicBook/TheJoker dies as a result of his Titan poisoning. In the post-''Arkham City'' comic series ''Arkham City: End Game'', and the opening cinematic of ''[[VideoGame/BatmanArkhamKnight Arkham Knight]]'', Batman, taking into account such things as Ra's al Ghul's Lazarus Pits, has the Joker's body cremated to ensure he'll never come back.
* ''VideoGame/{{Prototype 2}}'': After Colonel Rooks has the newly-Infected Heller [[KillItWithFire burned alive]], he orders some of his troops to gun down the body and make sure he's dead, as he "doesn't need another Mercer running around." It doesn't take, and Heller eats said troops and escapes.

* In ''[[Literature/BelgarathTheSorcerer Belgarath the Sorcerer]]'', after the defeat of Torak in the Battle of Vo Mimbre the Alorns proceed to slaughter the remains of the now-leaderless and disorganized Angarak army long into the night. After their torches burn out, [[DayHurtsDarkAdjustedEyes the Ulgos]] make sure they're all dead.

* In ''Film/JeepersCreepers'', when Trish and Darry are confronted on the highway Trish runs The Creeper over. When Dary asks is Trish thinks she's really dead, Trish then proceeds to run him over not twice but five times. Unfortunately, it got better.

* The calling card for Vino, a Mafia assassin from ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}''. His killings are said to be [[LudicrousGibs disturbingly messy]], for the purpose of making sure he finished the job.

* ''LightNovel/TheHeroIsOverpoweredButOverlyCautious'': Seiya is always worried that his slain foes will come back to life. As such, he spams his best skills and fire magic to ensure not a single cell remains, collateral damage be damned. After gaining earth magic, he starts sending his enemies to the planet's core to ensure their remains are incinerated.

* Subverted in ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen'', when Psylocke kills Magneto. She knows he's hard to kill and so, having stabbed him through the heart, she removes his helmet and uses her psychic powers to monitor his mind (or possibly even shut it down), and doesn't leave the area until she's verified complete brain death. However, she didn't plan on him calling in a favour from an Omega-level healer, who teleports in to resurrect him as soon as she leaves.

* ''Fanfic/AbraxasHrodvitnon'': Godzilla's Titan allies take extra precautions when killing [[Characters/AbraxasHrodvitnonTitansAndOtherCreatures the Many]] to make sure that they ''stay'' dead, since every last piece of the Many's biomass is alive [[TheVirus and infectious]].

* In [[DeathWorld evil biomes]] in VideoGame/DwarfFortress, this (via butchering) is an absolute necessity unless you want anything that dies (or the ''body parts'' of anything that dies) to reanimate and attack you again. Butchering can be problematic with sentient creatures, as dwarven ethics disallow the butchering of sentients. Plus, if you're not careful, necromancers can still revive butchered skins and bones. Dumping corpses into [[LavaAddsAwesome magma]] or crushing them with a Dwarven Atom Smasher is more reliable.

* ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin'': Much like Franchise/DeadSpace, you're going to find a LOT of enemies who look dead but are just sleeping or playing dead. Even enemies found hanging on a rope. Burning these bodies is a good way of ensuring that they're dead without wasting precious bullets AND looting their burning corpses! Just make sure you don't keep throwing matches on the ground when your enemy is hanged - wastes supplies. Also, most enemies [[ChunkySalsaRule whose heads have been completely blown off are usually dead]].