History Main / SuicideAttack

[[quoteright:250:[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/generals_terrorist.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:250:"I will die for our cause!" Wait a minute, ''[[TerroristsWithoutACause what]]'' cause?]]

[[quoteright:200:[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Generals_Terrorist.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:200:"I will die for our cause!" Wait a minute, ''[[TerroristsWithoutACause what]]'' cause?]]

* In ''VideoGame/TheRevengeOfShinobi'' and ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}} III: Return of the Ninja Master'', Joe Musashi can use an attack called Mijin, which destroys all enemies on screen at the cost of his own life. If the player has at least one life remaining after using Mijin, Musashi's body parts will reform, allowing him to continue on the spot at full health. If not, his body simply explodes, and the game is over.

* Right before the main story of [[''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'']], Raiden, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi (the latter two which have since turned on each other after their [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance previous]] [[Main/TheBadGuyWins "victory"]]) have united and combined their powers to try to slay the recently-returned Dragon King, Onaga. [[Main/TheWorfEffect None of it worked, however.]] A desperate Raiden decided to release all of his godly power and essence in a last ditch effort to destroy the Dragon King. [[Main/TheWorfEffect Again, it was totally ineffective,]] but this did 86 the Soulnado as well as the Dragon King's mummified army as well as Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. Raiden reforms, however--[[Main/CameBackWrong but something has changed about him.]]

* Right before the main story of [[MortalKombatDeception]], Raiden, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi (the latter two which have since turned on each other after their [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance previous]] [[Main/BadGuyWins "victory"]]) have united and combined their powers to try to slay the recently-returned Dragon King, Onaga. [[Main/TheWorfEffect None of it worked, however.]] A desperate Raiden decided to release all of his godly power and essence in a last ditch effort to destroy the Dragon King. [[Main/TheWorfEffect Again, it was totally ineffective,]] but this did 86 the Soulnado as well as the Dragon King's mummified army as well as Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. Raiden reforms, however--[[Main/CameBackWrong but something has changed about him.]]

* Right before the main story of [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception]], Raiden, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi (the latter two which have since turned on each other after their [[VideoGame/MortalKombatDeadlyAlliance previous]] [[Main/BadGuyWins "victory"]]) have united and combined their powers to try to slay the recently-returned Dragon King, Onaga. [[Main/TheWorfEffect None of it worked, however.]] A desperate Raiden decided to release all of his godly power and essence in a last ditch effort to destroy the Dragon King. [[Main/TheWorfEffect Again, it was totally ineffective,]] but this did 86 the Soulnado as well as the Dragon King's mummified army as well as Quan Chi and Shang Tsung. Raiden reforms, however--[[Main/CameBackWrong but something has changed about him.]]

* ''ComicBook/TransformersMoreThanMeetsTheEye'' introduced K-Class Decepticons, Decepticons who have their alternate mode replaced with that of a bomb. These individuals are either fanatically devoted to the cause or criminals sentenced to this in lieu of execution.

* In "Fearless", an enemy of ''Manga/Golgo13'' tries to kill him by kidnapping and brainwashing people who have survived a NearDeathExperience and therefore [[Film/{{Fearless}} no longer have a fear of death]]. Thus Golgo 13 finds himself being attacked by apparently ordinary citizens who are carrying suicide bombs. Golgo [[InvincibleHero of course]] survives these attacks, pointing out that it's the fear of death that keeps him from dying.

* Creator/RobertHeinlein's novel ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'' makes it a point to honor private Rodger Young, who fought in the Pacific Theater in WWII. His unit was pinned down by an Japanese bunker after a failed attempt to advance and assault it, so Young disobeyed orders and stormed the bunker himself, managing to get close enough to throw a grenade into it, but taking multiple fatal wounds in the process (Young's final act of heroism was also immortalized in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MEJM0cboDg a song]]).

* Creator/RobertHeinlein's novel ''Literature/StarshipTroopers'' makes it a point to honor private Rodger Young, who fought in the Pacific Theater in WWII. His unit was pinned down by an Japanese bunker after a failed attempt to advance and assault it, so Young disobeyed orders and stormed the bunker himself, managing to get close enough to throw a grenade into it, but taking multiple fatal wounds in the process.

* ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'': In the GrandFinale, Trakeena has her entire army of Stingwingers turned into suicide bombers for a final attack on Terra Venture. They take down two [[HumongousMecha Megazords]] and a great number of buildings this way, as well as wearing out the Rangers, who spend a lot of time directing them away from innocent civilians, but also results in Trakeena quickly exhausting all of her forces. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Villamax is outraged by this act.]]

A cousin to TakingYouWithMe and a technique used by the CorneredRattlesnake, a Suicide Attack is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: an attack where the attacker has every intention of sacrificing himself to destroy his target. Suicide attacks are mostly associated with explosives nowadays, either strapped to the body or packed in a vehicle. However, this trope is actually OlderThanSteam, with the first recorded example occurring in 162 BC. TruthInTelevision, needless to say (terrorists do this ''all the freakin' time''.)

** [[spoiler: Fortunately, Buccaneer exploits the distraction to pull off his own example of this trope.]]

* In ''Manga/OnePiece'', during the events of the Whole Cake Island arc, [[spoiler: Pedro does this in an attempt to kill Charlotte Perospeoro and allow the Straw Hats to escape. He succeeds in the latter, but fails in the former as Perospero is seen immeadiately afterwards still alive, although he does end up losing his entire right arm.]]

* ''Film/ThirtyDaysOfNight'': Beau sets off several sticks of dynamite while the vampires rush him, [[spoiler: but survives. Marlow kills him]].
* ''Film/CaptiveState'': [[spoiler: Mulligan launches one on the aliens in Chicago at the end, destroying their colony and setting off revolts around the globe.]]

* ''Film/ThePromise2016'': [[spoiler: Garin]] uses dynamite to blow up a Turk who killed another prisoner, killing himself in doing so.

*** [[spoiler: Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo buys time to the Resistance remnants in spectacular fashion by turning her command ship's hyperdrive on... right in the face of the ''Supremacy'', Supreme Leader Snoke's monstrous flagship, and ramming it at lightspeed. The resulting blast cuts said ship in half and destroys about half the surrounding First Order fleet.]]

* ''Literature/ItCantHappenHere'': [[spoiler: Mary Jessup Greenhill]] plans to assassinate Judge Effingham Swan to avenge her dead husband by chasing him down midair and throwing a grenade into his plane. She misses, so instead deliberately collides with him.

* ''Series/TheManInTheHighCastle'': [[spoiler: Frank and Sara]] attempt to bomb the Kenpeitai headquarters, but are caught, so they detonate the explosive with them still inside. [[spoiler: It turns out that Frank survives however.]]

* ''Series/Sense8'': In the series finale [[spoiler: Jonas]] launches one against BPO, blowing up the building with him inside.

* According to ''[[LetsPlay/{{Dream}} Dream's]]'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oySp75huAp8 explanation video of the Minecraft Manhunt grand finale,]] [[spoiler: Sapnap was trying to use the bed to explode Dream before he could kill the dragon, but instead, he exploded himself and Dream got the achievement.]]

%% Image Pickin' thread did not produce a new image: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1636651884045390900

[[quoteright:200:[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerGenerals https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Generals_Terrorist.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:200:"I will die for our cause!" Wait a minute, ''[[TerroristsWithoutACause what]]'' cause?]]

* According to ''[[LetsPlay/{{Dream}} Dream's]]'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oySp75huAp8 explanation video of the Minecraft Manhunt grand finale,]] [[spoiler: Sapnap was trying to use the bed to explode Dream before he could kill the dragon, but instead, he exploded himself and Dream got the achievement.]]

* ''Webcomic/BasketsOfGuts'': [[MushroomMan Myconid]] terrorists explode themselves in highly populated areas not to kill as much people as they can, but to [[PuppeteerParasite infect]] them with their spores.
* This is the only method the kids can come up with to blow up the Green Sun in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}''.

* From the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series, there are two attacks that let you do this: Self Destruct and Explosion. Not a pure example as the Pokemon who learn these moves can learn other moves as well, and because they faint rather than die. There is, however, a minefield in a Team Rocket base in Gold/Silver that spawns enemies with Self Destruct in their move lists (though in an odd example, due to levels changing, in the remakes, one of these is unable to use their suicide attack.)
** Second Generation introduces Perish Song, which makes both the user and the target faint in three turns.
** Fourth Generation has the friendly version Healing Wish, which heals the user's team instead of causing damage, and Memento and Grudge, which severely cripple the opponent in exchange for the user's life.
** Fifth Generation gives us Final Gambit, which has the user sacrifice all of its remaining HP to cause the same amount of damage to the enemy. Because of its nature, it is best used by Pokémon with high HP.
* ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' gives you one of these as a bonus power if you bought the Cyborg [[ExpansionPack super booster]]. Use it and it counts down from 10, then detonates in the single most damaging attack in the game. The downside? Not only do you die instantly but it prevents you from being targeted by any of the various resurrection powers in the game, forcing you to go back to the hospital.
** Masterminds with Traps as their secondary powerset can also get the Detonator power, which allows them to do this to their henchmen, though henchmen that aren't zombies or robots will try to set the bomb down and get away before it blows.
* The [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Kamikaze]] Darkling from ''VideoGame/TheDarkness'' video game is a little maniac in a top hat and tails (and an inexplicable Russian accent) strapped with dynamite. His attack is to run up to the enemy, pull out a detonator box and push the plunger. He's also good at blowing out walls and doors.
** Your sidekick Darkling in the sequel performs a LOT of actions that keep constantly killing him, but since he respawns each time, he bears with it. [[spoiler:Until the ending, when he dies for real by burning from Hell-stored sunlight]].
* In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', this trope is basically one of the themes, as the entire game revolves around Commander Shepard recruiting new team members to help fight against the Collectors in a direct assault on their base (which is pretty much a DeathTrap).
** One of [[HiredGuns Zaeed Massani]]'s retirement plan ideas (since the other ones are unlikely retirement opportunities) involves taking a ship filled with explosives and ramming it in to the Omega station.
* Several enemies in ''VideoGame/SuperheroLeagueOfHoboken'' have attacks that can hit everyone in the party (for example, "Lawyer SUES!"), but knocks them out in the process.
* Alice Margatroid of ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' seems to have this as a recurring theme in her attacks: "Suicide Squad," "Suicide Pact," "Straw Doll Kamikaze," "Artful Sacrifice," etc. Note that it's not Alice sacrificing ''herself'', but rather sending legions of her dolls to blow up on the enemy.
** Fujiwara no Mokou, the [[{{Superboss}} Extra Stage boss]] of ''VideoGame/TouhouEiyashouImperishableNight'', dies after her spell cards. However, since she's [[ResurrectiveImmortality immortal]], she just comes back to life and continues pelting you with danmaku until she gets tired. When she reappears in ''VideoGame/TouhouShinpirokuUrbanLegendInLimbo'' she has gained an attack that effectively annihilates her body in a pillar of fire. On the flip side, this Suicide Attack actually ''heals'' her of all [[CastFromHitPoints self-inflicted damage]].
* In ''VideoGame/MechWarrior 4'', the High Explosive Pack was a two-slot missile weapon with precisely one shot, no additional ammo, and an ominous skull and crossbones for its weapons icon. The premise behind this weapon was that, in multiplayer, a 'Mech on its last legs or with all other weapons lost could charge at the enemy and trigger the bombs it'd strapped to itself. As there was no visual indicator of what 'Mechs had these suicide kits installed, any charging opponent in a 'Mech design with missile slots could mean bad news. This weapon was eventually removed from later expansions.
* A technique in ''[[VideoGame/MechWarrior Mechwarrior Online]]'' popularized by Youtubers takes the concept of "boating" to the extreme by outfitting an assault 'Mech with as many high-damage energy weapons as its chassis will allow, stripping off the 'Mech's armor and downgrading to a small engine to make a few more weapons fit under the weight limit. The result is an extremely slow GlassCannon that has to shut down to cool after every trigger pull, and can only fire two or three times at most before it self-destructs from overheat. You're not likely to survive a match with this build, let alone win. But that's not the point. The point is to fire all of those weapons at once and one-shot enemy 'Mechs, and then [[{{Troll}} laugh as they rage over comms as you die afterward]]. The most infamous example is the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTlXw2qGB2w Direstar]], a Direwolf boating a dozen or so [=PPCs=].
* In ''VideoGame/KillingFloor'' stacking proximity bombs on your head and rushing the [[BossBattle Patriarch]] used to be a quite effective way of taking him out. The bombs have since been nerfed to prevent this.
** In ''VideoGame/KillingFloor2'', critically injured Husks will charge toward you and attempt to detonate their fuel tanks at point blank. If you don't have armor, [[OneHitKill well...]].
* Beheaded bombers from the ''VideoGame/SeriousSam'' series.
* A "bomb" type monster in ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series sometimes grow larger when it's attacked or when it targets a party member before it explodes. The damage dealt is usually lethal, like the Mom Bomb in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' and some other bombs in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'', in which an explosion can kill your entire party in a second if the attack is not guarded. In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', [[PowerCopying Blue Mages]] can learn the Bomb's "Self-Destruct" spell, which deals high damage to surrounding enemies while also killing the user on the spot.
* Saori's "Ultimate Gambit" skill in ''VideoGame/PeretEmHeruForThePrisoners'' deals reasonable damage, but also reduces all of her own HP to zero. [[spoiler:Makes sense, considering that Saori is suicidal and, if she gets the opportunity to do so, [[DrivenToSuicide will take her own life]]]].
* In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'', some pilots like [[Anime/MazingerZ Boss]] and [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Heero Yuy]] have a "Detonate" command, which is basically a self-destruct ability. It works against any surrounding unit and the damage is based on how much the unit's damaged. In Boss Borot's case, its repair cost is very low that it's safe to use this skill in an emergency. And, yeah, [[PlotArmor the pilots never die from doing this.]]
** Of course they would survive. Boss Borot would routinely fall apart during combat because it was made out of junk. In Heero's case, he actually ''did'' make his Gundam self-detonate ''while standing just outside the cockpit'' and '''''[[MadeOfIron survived]]''''' (though he hadn't intended to).
* In ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', the Creepers are a race of hostile green creatures whose only battle tactic is to walk up to your face and blow themselves up. Or to creep up behind you, [[ParanoiaFuel silently]], and blow themselves up. This led [[WebAnimation/ZeroPunctuation Yahtzee]] to label them "kamikaze shrubs" and "suicide hedges."
* The Shofixti Scout's Glory Device in ''VideoGame/StarControl'' is just a big bomb that Shofixti ships carry. Once set off, it automatically kills the Shofixti ship, but, if close enough to the enemy ship, it can also damage or destroy that ship as well. Interestingly, if a Shofixti ship kills the last Hierarchy ship in a scenario with its Glory Device, the Alliance wins, even if the Alliance has no ships left either.
* Psychos reduced to low health in ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands}}'' may pull out a grenade and charge nearby players. The grenades don't disarm when the Psycho is killed and are more than powerful enough to take you from full shields and health to fighting for your life, [[ArtificialStupidity if]] they can close the distance before the grenade goes off. Hey, they ''are'' crazy.
** [[VideoGame/Borderlands2 The sequel]] has Suicide Psychos, who has this as their primary attack as well as the EXP Loader, robots who run up to the player and self-destruct.
** ...and with the Psycho DLC pack, you can even play as a Suicide Psycho: One of Krieg's skills replaces Fight For Your Life mode with a phase called Light The Fuse in which you throw dynamite left and right and finally blow yourself up, instantly coming back to life if you manage to kill something in the process.
** Wilhem's "Termination Protocols" skill in ''VideoGame/BorderlandsThePreSequel'' is similar to Light the Fuse: Wilhelm no longer goes into normal Fight for your Life; instead, he can fire normally, generates a constant electrical field, and explodes when Termination Protocols ends, gaining Second Wind if he gets a kill.
* At one point in Act 1 of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' (specifically, Urban Ruins), a Middle Eastern insurgent sneaks behind a [[PrivateMilitaryContractors PMC soldier]] and blows himself up, also taking the PMC soldier with him.
* [[spoiler:Subverted with]] Hubriks, the weakest enemy units in ''Future Tactics: The Uprising''. They have dynamite strapped to them and attack by blowing themselves up within range of your own units. [[spoiler:A major plot point half-way through is the discovery that said enemy creatures revive thanks to a device that brings back their dead.]]
* Hom in the ''VideoGame/{{Tobal}}'' series can push a button on his back to switch himself off; seeing as this costs him the round with no effect on the opponent, this is purely a gag maneuver.
* In ''VideoGame/TheRevengeOfShinobi'' and ''VideoGame/{{Shinobi}} III: Return of the Ninja Master'', Joe Musashi can use an attack called Mijin, which destroys all enemies on screen at the cost of his own life. If the player has at least one life remaining after using Mijin, Musashi's body parts will reform, allowing him to continue on the spot at full health. If not, his body simply explodes, and the game is over.
* In ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfLomax'', the barrel enemies from the first world stop dead and explode after a brief moment when you get close. Approaching them and then running away is a viable method of defeating them, but since they're actually your mind-controlled comrades, it's better to liberate them if you can.
* Who could forget the [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bob-Ombs and other explosive enemies?]] [[SubvertedTrope Paper Mario has shown us that not all of them die from their self-destructions, however.]]
* The Techies in ''VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncientsAllStars'' used to have a skill that blows themselves up for massive damage, and it was the only skill they had that didn't lay down a trap. While dying is a pretty bad thing in [=DotA=], [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled it denies enemies from getting a kill bounty from you]], and it also halves their respawn time and gives them the kill experience reward if their attack kills. In ''VideoGame/Dota2'', the reworked version of the ability instead takes a fixed percentage of the Techies' HP and has a long cast time, making it harder but still possible for them to kill themselves using it if their health is low enough until this was eventually patched out, making them instead [[HPToOne survive on 1 HP]] (although as compensation, it allows themselves to launch themselves at enemies from a distance instead of blowing themselves up on the spot).
* Super Mutants in ''VideoGame/Fallout4'' have a "Suicider" type. When they detect an enemy, they arm their mini nukes and charge, hoping to tank gunfire until they can blow up. If you kill one before it blows up, you can loot the mini nuke; if not, you loot nuclear material. If it kills you, you get an achievement the first time it happens.
** Or, if your character is a ''really'' good shot, you can shoot the nuke and blow it up while the Mutant is still mingling with his fellows. Preferably before any of them notice you. Fun!
* In ''VideoGame/PapersPlease'', terrorists will occasionally try to enter Arstotzka with bombs strapped to their backs. If they succeed, your work day will be cut short, along with your pay. Once you get the scanner, you can use it to thwart these attacks at your booth.
* ''VideoGame/LuxarenAllure'' has Heal Potion Blobs, whose SignatureMove, Healsplosion, has them sacrifice themselves to heal everyone on the field. Enemies and allies alike.
* In ''{{VideoGame/inFAMOUS}}'', the Reapers and Dust Men [[GangBangers street gangs]] both include some suicide bombers wrapped up in explosives, who will try to run towards Cole and blow themselves up.
* In ''VideoGame/Persona5'', [[spoiler:Masayoshi Shido tries to kill himself using Temporary-Death Serum to kill the protagonists who are inside his consciousness]].
* In ''VideoGame/SouthParkTheFracturedButWhole'', Mysterion's LimitBreak is to take out a bomb and blow himself up, dealing damage to all enemies adjacent to him. This isn't as bad as it sounds, since Mysterion has a passive ability that turns him into a ghost whenever he dies, which has its own moveset and LimitBreak which restores him to life. He ''is'' [[TheyKilledKennyAgain Kenny]], after all.
* ''VideoGame/TheLogomancer'': Unchained Ids have a Self-Destruct attack that kills them and harms one party member.
* In ''VideoGame/FateGrandOrder'', Arash's [[LimitBreak Noble Phantasm]] "Stella: The Lone Meteor" is an [=AoE=] nuke that does immense damage but also immediately kills him. As a low-rarity Servant, this makes him useful as a cheap way to clear through trash mobs.
* ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'': Several of the enemy factions have a suicide enemy type, which will approach the player before detonating.
** The Fallen begin deploying Exploder Shanks with the ''House of Wolves'' expansion.
** The Hive like to send out Cursed Thralls along with a ZergRush of regular Thralls.
** The Vex have the Fanatics, which are headless, shambling zombie-like units. Destroying them leaves a pool of electrified radiolaria on the ground, which can damage the player.
** In ''Destiny 2: Forsaken,'' the Scorn have the Screeb, which function a lot like the Cursed Thralls.
* ''VideoGame/{{Brigador}}'': The [[TheRevolutionWillNotBeCivilized Corvids]] utilize many suicide bombers. They usually use bikes or cars to charge into you, but some of them even disguise themselves as civilians.
* In the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' series, the move Kamikazee, most often used by Rockbombs and related monsters is this- it has a high chance to instantly KO all opposing targets at the cost of the user's own life. It also has a healing version in Kerplunk, which sacrifices the user to fully heal and revive all allies. Kamikazee also reprises this role in Hero's appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', where it [=KOs=] Hero himself to inflict massive damage on all nearby enemies. [[PressXToDie Just don't use it on your last stock.]]
* ''VideoGame/CryingSuns'':
** If a Juggernaut Frigate reaches the opponent’s battleship, it will bore into the hull with its prow-mounted drill before exploding in a spectacular fashion for massive damage.
** Several [=NPCs=] will tell you that this is how the original Ellys Idaho (whom your character is a clone of) defeated the Survivalists: he loaded a battleship with nukes and piloted it into the crust of Ganyma, killing everyone on the planet at the cost of his own life. [[spoiler:This is a lie. Idaho was ordered to nuke Ganyma but refused to do so on moral grounds, so Emperor Oberon killed him and had Okonkwo nuke the planet instead.]]
* ''VideoGame/VGAPlanets'': The [[Franchise/StarTrek Klingon]] {{Expy}} has ships equipped with Glory Devices, which can be detonated to damage enemy forces, both in space and down on the surface of planets.
* ''VideoGame/PowerBomberman'': Metalooi's main ability – besides being able to sustain two hits as opposed to one – is to self-destruct by turning into a rocket in order to cause a massive explosion. If it already sustained a hit, activating its ability will instead have him explode on the spot with minimal firepower.
* ''VideoGame/DeepRockGalactic'': Glyphid Exploders are alien spiders covered in chemically-overreactive pustules. Rather than bite or claw at you, their brains have been hardwired to mix the chemicals together when they get close to you. Their fiercest tactic is when they charge in ''swarms'' - even if you can sharpshoot them in time, the chain reaction might cause the entire battlefield to light up. Killing them with a headshot will stop the explosion.

%%** The plot of ''Series/{{Caprica}}'' is initiated by a suicide bombing.

%%** In "School Reunion".
** In "Day of the Daleks". Two suicide bombings in that one, both against Daleks.
** The Daleks themselves do this in "Destiny of the Daleks", despite having said earlier that suicide for a cause isn't logical.

* ''Series/TheXFiles''.
** In "Monday" Scully and Mulder [[GroundhogDayLoop keep getting killed]] because they don't know the bank robber is wired with explosives, which he detonates when the situation appears hopeless. Even when Mulder does become aware of this he can't stop events [[spoiler:until the robber [[TakingTheBullet accidentally shoots his girlfriend]], and is too emotionally stunned to even commit suicide.]]
** "Babylon" starts as Islamic terrorists commit a suicide bombing against an art gallery displaying cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed. One of them survives, with Mulder and Scully seeking to communicate with him so they can find his cell, who are planning further bombings.
* ''{{Series/Colony}}'': Red Hand uses this against government targets, recruiting men who have nothing to lose (the one we see is already dying) using sex with a female operative as a tool. He attempts to flee when he's gotten discovered, and the bomb gets detonated remotely instead. Mia volunteers to blow the alien ship up later this way too.
* ''{{Series/Humans}}'': Mia triggers a device to destroy Hester which also affects her. She's revived afterward though.
* ''Series/TheHandmaidsTale'': The new Ofglen commits a suicide bombing against the gathered Commanders at the opening of the Red Center, while giving her fellow Handmaids for them to get away. However, more of them were in fact actually killed than Commanders nonetheless. This shows why bombings are generally a bad idea, even when the intended targets (like here) are what most would view as legitimate.
* ''Series/Sense8'': In the series finale [[spoiler: Jonas]] launches one against BPO, blowing up the building with him inside.

* ''Series/TheManInTheHighCastle'': [[spoiler: Frank and Sara]] attempt to bomb the Kenpeitai headquarters, but are caught, so they detonate the explosive with them still inside. [[spoiler: It turns out that Frank survives however.]]

* ''{{Series/Messiah}}'': [[spoiler:Samir]] is tasked to commit one by Islamic extremists so [[spoiler:Jibril]]'s message will be stopped. He backs out at the last second, though unfortunately the bomb is detonated by his handler remotely.
* ''Series/TheMandalorian'': IG-11 self-destructs, taking out the nearby Stormtroopers to help Mando and The Child escape by doing so.
* ''Series/RomperStomper'': In the finale, [[spoiler:Magoo]], who's dying of cancer, blows himself up to kill a federal MP. Numerous people nearby in the vicinity are killed or wounded as well.
* ''Series/VagrantQueen'': Nim tries to do this against the Republic soldiers, setting the grenade off that he's carrying. However, he survives it to be captured.
* ''Series/Next2020'': Next manipulates a far-right militant into a suicide bombing against the FBI office where the agents after it work, helping him to get inside.
* ''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'': In the GrandFinale, Trakeena has her entire army of Stingwingers turned into suicide bombers for a final attack on Terra Venture. They take down two [[HumongousMecha Megazords]] and a great number of buildings this way, as well as wearing out the Rangers, who spend a lot of time directing them away from innocent civilians, but also results in Trakeena quickly exhausting all of her forces. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Villamax is outraged by this act.]]

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Illuminati}}'' collectable card game includes a "Suicide Squad" card which can launch this sort of attack on enemy assets.
* In ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' the 31st Seal (either a Martian resistance group or terrorist organisation, depending on who you ask) frequently orchestrates suicide attacks, typically in the form of gigantic warriors with axes, although they occasionally deploy bombers too.

* ''VideoGame/{{Dune}}'':
** In ''VideoGame/DuneII'' Ordos Saboteur units had bombs strapped to themselves, and had a suicide attack.
** In ''VideoGame/EmperorBattleForDune'' Besides the original Saboteur units, a new aerial unit called the Eye In The Sky also had an attack where it self-destructed with a Saboteur ejecting out of it.

* ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII'':
** The Demolition Ships and Demolition Raft (added in the expansions) are ships loaded with explosives that collide and explode on ships, dealing damage to a group of them.
** Added in the [[ExpansionPack Conqueror]] expansion, the Petard unit (the real life basis of which is the TropeNamer for HoistByHisOwnPetard) is a medieval suicide bomber.
** In the ''Definitive Edition'', the Flaming Camels are camels with burning hays wrapped on top of them that explode on enemy troops, which deals bonus damage against cavalry and elephants. Their appearance in the Tamerlane's campaign is based on how Tamerlane deals with the war elephants. It was originally a scenario-only unit but was added in March 2020 patch for the Tatars civilization once they researched the Timurid Siegecraft unique technique.
* Pirate fire ships in ''VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresIII'' which are essentially ships with parts on fire and the decks filled with black gunpowder that collides to enemy ships and blow them up.
* The Soldier's aptly-named Kamikaze taunt in ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' has the soldier pull the pin on a hand grenade but not throw it, the explosion killing the Soldier and any enemy within a six foot radius of him.
** The Ullapool Caber is this for any Demoman who has taken moderate damage and doesn't have a shield.
* Creator/{{Bungie}}'s ''Myth'' games have Wights, zombies that explode when attacked or when they get close to enemies, and spray a paralyzing toxin over nearby units. The ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' games feature similar enemies called Boomers.
* Creator/{{Bungie}}'s ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' games feature Assimilated [=BoBs=], who look like civilians but run up to the player and explode,
* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
** From ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}'' onward, Grunts will sometimes light up two plasma grenades in their hands and charge at you. Suicide Grunts are even a specific unit in ''VideoGame/HaloWars'' and ''VideoGame/HaloWars2''. It's become such an iconic part of their behavior that in ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'', even Grunts piloting [[MiniMecha Beam Goblins]] will at low health occasionally overcharge their energy cannons to wildly unstable levels in order to turn themselves into mecha-shaped bombs.
** Additionally, Flood Carrier Forms have no means of attack other than walking up to someone and exploding; the Infection Forms they carry are a half-example, as they only explode when attacking shielded foes.
* The VideoGame/GarrysMod game mode Trouble In Terrorist Town has a Traitor weapon called the Jihad bomb, which is basically a C4 that blows up in your hands with a 5 second warning to everyone around you before you explode, taking you and everyone in a large radius. The weapon isn't on all servers due to how [[GameBreaker overpowered it is]] by using it on a crowd of players or in a small room. While you die with it, you can usually take nearly 5 lives with you, which is difficult to do over one round.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* Highway To Hell from ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' is a Stand that inflicts damage taken by the user onto a target, apparently requiring the user to try and kill themself in order to use it to kill anyone else. This becomes a pretty dangerous ability in the hands of its DeathSeeker user Thunder [=McQueen=].

[[folder:Comics]]
* In ''ComicBook/VForVendetta'', V uses this as a threat against the receptionist at the [[PropagandaMachine BTN]] building.

* ''Worst X-Man Ever'' is about a boy who discovers his mutant power of being able to explode and promptly die, thus meaning that he faces the fear and prejudice that mutants face without any of the potential benefits. His powers eventually drew the attention of Magneto and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, who want to use him to assassinate Xavier. In the end, [[spoiler:he uses his ability to kill off his former classmate, who killed Xavier and took over the world]].
* ''ComicBook/HuntersHellcats'': In ''Our Fighting Forces'' #117, the Nazis recruit a band of Middle Eastern fanatics who stage suicide bomb attacks on French trains. The Nazis then claims these explosions were the result of Allied bombing raids as part of a FalseFlagOperation.
* This is the mode of operation for ComicBook/{{Darkseid}}'s Suicide Jockeys as introduced in the pages of ''ComicBook/{{Orion}}''.

[[folder:Fanfics]]

* In ''Fanfic/NeitherABirdNorAPlaneItsDeku'', a four-year-old Izuku remembers All Might's battle with Lord Death Man, a supervillain whose regenerative Quirk would allow him to survive the explosion of a powerful bomb that he strapped to his chest. All Might circumvents this by using his Oklahoma Smash to fling Lord Death Man far away just as the bomb is about to go off. Izuku tries to replicate this when Bakugou is busy clinging to him and firing off explosion after explosion, only to gape in horror when Bakugou goes flying through a brick wall.

[[folder:Films - Animated]]

[[folder:Films - Live Action]]

* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** In ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', the A-Wing of Rebel pilot Arvel Crynyd is critically damaged during the battle over Endor and he happens to be close to the Executor's command bridge, so what does he do? Crashes his ship into said command bridge, causing the gigantic Star Dreadnought to crash on the new Death Star, which turns the tide of the battle as a result.
** ''Film/TheLastJedi'':
*** The Resistance bombers sacrifice themselves to destroy the First Order Dreadnought that was about to obliterate the Resistance's command ship.
*** [[spoiler: Vice-Admiral Amilyn Holdo buys time to the Resistance remnants in spectacular fashion by turning her command ship's hyperdrive on... right in the face of the ''Supremacy'', Supreme Leader Snoke's monstrous flagship, and ramming it at lightspeed. The resulting blast cuts said ship in half and destroys about half the surrounding First Order fleet.]]
* ''Film/ExecutiveDecision''. A sweat-covered man in an overcoat walks into a London restaurant and gives everyone an OhCrap moment before blowing them to bits. Turns out the plane hijacking which is the main plot is also this -- supposedly a hostage exchange, the plane is carrying nerve gas in its cargo and it's made clear the BigBad never actually intended to properly land.
* ''Film/FromParisWithLove'' has a band of terrorists who are planning such an attack. [[spoiler:The main character's girlfriend turns out to have been convinced into being the main delivery method]]. It fails, of course, though the climax is somewhat unsatisfactory as the only real explanation for their suicidal efforts is along the lines of "[[TerroristsWithoutACause because reasons]]".

* ''{{Film/Logan}}'': Caliban goes out by detonating some grenades against his captors and kills himself in the process.
* ''Film/ThirtyDaysOfNight'': Beau sets off several sticks of dynamite while the vampires rush him, [[spoiler: but survives. Marlow kills him]].
* In the 1996 film adaptation of ''Literature/TheSecretAgent'', Creator/RobinWilliams plays a nihilistic {{mad bomber}} who goes around with dynamite strapped to his body at all times. He blows himself up at the end in a crowded street, seemingly for no other reason except annoyance at the people around him.
* ''Film/ThePromise2016'': [[spoiler: Garin]] uses dynamite to blow up a Turk who killed another prisoner, killing himself in doing so.
* ''Film/CaptiveState'': [[spoiler: Mulligan launches one on the aliens in Chicago at the end, destroying their colony and setting off revolts around the globe.]]
* ''Film/Overlord2018'': The Americans use a captured German to launch an unwilling one on his own side.
* ''Film/InTheFade'': In the finale, Katja kills herself and the murderers of her family using a homemade bomb.
* ''Film/{{Contact}}'': Joseph, a Christian fundamentalist, blows up the machine with a suicide vest believing that it's somehow against God.
* ''Film/{{Rakka}}''. A woman attempts to use a suicide bomb against an [[AlienInvasion alien patrol]]. The aliens recognise that she's carrying explosives and shoot her before she can get close enough, but she does succeed in preventing them from noticing the ''other'' bomb set up by [[MadBomber Nosh]], which he detonates, successfully destroying the patrol. Possibly this was the plan all along, given that we see Nosh negotiating with the RebelLeader to provide him with expendable people (those who are too sick to fight) who can be used as TheBait.
* ''Film/TheSiege'': The terrorists launch several, such as blowing up a bus with the people who they took hostage inside, or more fantastically driving into the FBI office and destroying the whole building with a truck bomb. At the end, [[spoiler:Samir]] plans to bomb a protest march against internment of Arab-Americans, justifying this by saying it makes an optimal target and they'll be martyrs as well.
* ''Film/JojoRabbit'': Fraulein Rahm sends Hitler Youth boys out with grenades for the battle, telling them to "hug" American soldiers.

* In the AlternateHistory series, ''Literature/{{Timeline 191}}'', suicide bombers [[CallARabbitASmeerp are called]] "People Bombs". The tactic was invented by the Mormons during the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Second Great War]] and later adopted by Black Marxists, Armenians, and other resistance groups.
* In the ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'' series, Grand Inquisitor Clyntahn creates "Project Rakurai", which is designed around the use of such bombers carrying wagons loaded with gunpowder as the bombs.

* ''[[https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/20568/tree-of-aeons-an-isekai-story/ Tree of Aeons]]'': After defeating several demon king cycles, the current generation of summoned heroes are weary of the constant struggle, and know that they can't last forever -- so they rig up powerful kamikaze attacks, pouring their souls into attacks that destroy the next demon king but kill them in the process. (Since their deaths mean reincarnating back on Earth, on some level they welcome the exchange.)
* In ''Literature/{{Unwind}}'', clappers are terrorists who are injected with an explosive substance -- so when they start clapping, you know you're in trouble. At one point, Connor and Risa spontaneously start applauding to create panic and escape. [[spoiler:Lev, Vincent, and Mai become clappers themselves after certain disillusioning events for each, though Lev realizes he can't go through with it at the last moment.]]
* In the Literature/StarTrekEnterpriseRelaunch novels, the Romulans send ships to make suicide runs on planets at warp speed. One such world is Coridan; the attack causes an antimatter explosion that kills a billion people and leaves the world aflame. Two hundred years later, even though the population has recovered, dilithium fires still burn on Coridan; indeed, the Burning Sea is a tourist attraction. The Romulans went on to do the same thing to the planet Draylax.
* In ''Literature/ShardsOfHonor'', the Barrayarans cover their retreat from Escobar by having a ship self-destruct in the middle of a wormhole, making the wormhole unusable for weeks afterward.
* A wizard's death curse in ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' involves the wizard using up their entire available store of energy, including [[CastFromHitPoints the part that keeps their body running]], to cast a single spell. Due to the sheer power behind them, a death curse is an order of magnitude greater than regular spells.
* The BigBad of ''Literature/{{Scorpius}}'', an ArmsDealer who specializes in trading with terrorists, established a cult to produce suicide bombers for profit.

* Wizards can do this in the ''Literature/SwordOfTruth'' books with Wizard's Life Fire, a spell that [[CastFromHitPoints uses their life force]] to consume their surroundings.
* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': Shardbearers are [[OneManArmy One Man Armies]] with {{Soul Cutting Blade}}s and {{Magitek}} PoweredArmor. If you don't have Shards of your own, any attack against them is a suicide attack, a desperate move to do enough damage to the armor that eventually someone will be able to kill the Shardbearer within. The person who actually strikes the killing blow wins the Shards for himself.
* ''Literature/AftermathLifeDebt'': Some of the Imperial TIE fighters start making suicide runs against New Republic ground forces when it's clear that the Empire is losing during a battle.

* ''Literature/ItCantHappenHere'': [[spoiler: Mary Jessup Greenhill]] plans to assassinate Judge Effingham Swan to avenge her dead husband by chasing him down midair and throwing a grenade into his plane. She misses, so instead deliberately collides with him.
* ''Literature/TheLittleCoffeeShopOfKabul'': [[spoiler:Isabel]] is killed by one [[spoiler:of the kids Candace's ex was training to be a suicide bomber]].
* ''Literature/TheLockedTomb: Literature/GideonTheNinth'': One {{Necromancer}} deliberately invokes a SuperPowerMeltdown on himself, turning his {{Mana}} reserves into a tremendous explosion in an attempt to kill the [[SuperToughness nigh-invulnerable]] HumanoidAbomination Cytherea. [[spoiler:It only weakens her.]]
* ''Literature/BlackFleetCrisis'':
** Some of the Yevethan starfighters launch themselves against New Republic ships in suicide runs at the Battle of N'Zoth.
** Plat Maller does this as well, ramming a Yevethan ship with his fighter that was intending to do the same against the cruiser he'd launched from.

* PlayedForLaughs in ''LightNovel/BakaAndTestSummonTheBeasts''. Class F, the worst class, is at war with Class B. They seem to be having some trouble, until the Class F leader gives Akihisa a secret weapon. He tells his classmates that the Class B rep is dating the Class C rep, which enrages them and causes them to blow their characters up in the summoner war in order to take out the much stronger Class B students. It largely works, although the Class B rep has a trick of his own...

* In ''Film/TheGodfatherPartII'', while Michael Corleone is visiting {{UsefulNotes/Cuba}} during the Cuban Revolution, he witnesses a communist guerrilla blowing up both himself and a few government soldiers with a hand grenade.

* ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. What makes the Queen's Kamikaze Highlanders [[SuicideAsComedy so keen to kill themselves?]] ("The money's good..." "And the water skiing!") Sapper [=McDonald=] is recruited to infiltrate Russia and retrieve secret documents.

* In the ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' series, the move Kamikazee, most often used by Rockbombs and related monsters is this- it has a high chance to instantly KO all opposing targets at the cost of the user's own life. It also has a healing version in Kerplunk, which sacrifices the user to fully heal and revive all allies.
** Kamikazee also reprises this role in Hero's appearance in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', where it [=KOs=] Hero himself to inflict massive damage on all nearby enemies. [[PressXToDie Just don't use it on your last stock.]]

** Glyphid Bulk Detonators are something of a subversion; they're an extremely rare type of huge Exploder that ''doesn't'' die when they explode - though the reverse is true..

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'', it seems like [[spoiler:Mario and his friends are about to get away from Bowser's army on Rainbow Road, but the Koopa General, [[AxCraxy having lost his mind]], [[VideoGame/MarioKart goes inside his spiny blue shell and zooms over to slam down on Mario and Donkey Kong's kart]], creating an explosion that causes a gap in the rainbow that sends the [[VitriolicBestBuds duo]] falling to the ocean below. The general is never seen again in the movie following this.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'', it seems like [[spoiler:Mario and his friends are about to get away from Bowser's army on Rainbow Road, but the Koopa General, [[AxCraxy having lost his mind]], goes inside his spiny blue shell and zooms over to slam down on Mario and Donkey Kong's kart, creating a explosion that causes a gap in the rainbow that sends the [[VitriolicBestBuds duo]] falling to the ocean below. The general is never seen again in the movie following this.]]