History Main / WalkThePlank

RealLife pirates executed people this way, but only rarely, for as with TheMafia and their alleged fondness for CementShoes, they usually preferred to [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim just shoot 'em]] and then dump the body overboard.

RealLife pirates executed people this way, but only rarely, as it was usually much more expedient to simply toss the victim overboard. [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim Usually after shooting them.]]

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* [[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/868d0dd8-2bde-4906-b6ae-b218b2e41047/d7e5mpp-57c5d009-e3db-4f59-97f2-1789dfa3580b.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzg2OGQwZGQ4LTJiZGUtNDkwNi1iNmFlLWIyMThiMmU0MTA0N1wvZDdlNW1wcC01N2M1ZDAwOS1lM2RiLTRmNTktOTdmMi0xNzg5ZGZhMzU4MGIucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.Ryx5yivdAjF9XXHkXXAp62k5XdJ2vdh2VoSbXeWHG0c This fan-art]] of ''WebAnimation/BrawlOfTheObjects'' has the characters as pirates on a ship, and Shieldy is forcing Controlly to walk the plank. Avast me hearty, ye need to walk th' plank! Arrrrrg!
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* ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'', Chapter 268. This was how [[spoiler:Queen Arika]] was supposed to be executed, walking off a plank settled over a huge canyon full of monsters. [[spoiler:Luckily for her, Ala Alba (commanded by Nagi, who is able to catch her and drag her out ''[[BroughtDownToBadass without his powers]]'') is there to save her.]]

* ''{{Literature/Redwall}}''; Vilu Daskar is fond of this, telling captives [[ExactWords they're free to leave his ship alive]].

[[folder:Web Comics]]

* ''ComicBook/WonderWoman1942'': Capt. Storm and his pirate crew are shown forcing an injured prisoner to walk the plank in #48.

** After a victim takes the plunge, a line of pirates holds up number ratings as with a diving competition.

* ''[[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi Star Wars: Episode VI -- Return of the Jedi]]'' - Jabba the Hutt's minions force Luke Skywalker to walk the plank extended from a hover skiff over the Sarlaac pit. Luke spins and grabs the plank as he falls, springboarding back to the skiff to fight while R2-D2 launches his lightsaber to him.

RealLife pirates executed people this way, but only rarely, as it was usually much more expedient to simply toss the victim overboard.

* In ''WesternAnimation/PocketDragons'' a group of sky pirates make the dragons walk the plank -- but don't know they're supposed to walk off it, so they end up walking up and down it.

* In the {{Elseworlds}} story in ''[[Franchise/{{Batman}} Detective Comics Annual]]'' #7, the Laughing Man (SelfDemonstrating/TheJoker) has Capitana Felina (ComicBook/{{Catwoman}}) walk the plank as part of their plan to trap Leatherwing (Batman).

* At the start of the Toppat Civil War route in ''[[VideoGame/HenryStickminSeries Henry Stickmin - Completing The Mission]]'', Ellie snuck aboard the airship and exposed how Henry left her after helping him escape from the prison complex, this causes the other Toppats to turn on Henry and force to walk the plank for his denouncement.

* In ''Pinball/PiratesOfTheCaribbean'', one of the exits from the upper level is "Walk the Plank", which drops balls directly onto the main playfield.

* In ''PocketDragons'' a group of sky pirates make the dragons walk the plank -- but don't know they're supposed to walk off it, so they end up walking up and down it.
* In the DarkerAndEdgier ''WesternAnimation/PeterPanAndThePirates'', Hook is GenreSavvy enough to strap a weight to Wendy's foot before trying this on her to ensure she drowns (she's still rescued).
* ''WesternAnimation/CampLakebottom'': GhostPirate [[CaptainColorbeard Captain Spitbeard]] tries to make [=McGee=] walk the plank (off a flying ship) in "Pirates of Ickygloomy". He ends up going off the plank himself.
* A pirate captain does this to Gargamel when he chases after a group of Smurfs sailing the seas in ''WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs'' episode "The Last Smurfberry."
* ''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'': In "Guitar Villain", the eponymous villain attempts to make an annoying pop star walk the plank...off the top of ''the Eiffel Tower''!
* Like the Woody Woodpecker example above, the ''[[WesternAnimation/DastardlyAndMuttleyInTheirFlyingMachines Magnificent Muttley]]'' segment "Muttley On The Bounty" has the snickering canine forced to walk the plank of the H.M.S. Bounty after biting Captain Bligh's (Dastardly's) hand when attempting to take a medal from him. Muttley walks to the edge then under the plank. When Blight wonders what went wrong and run onto the plank's edge, Muttley is on the deck sawing the plank off.
* WesternAnimation/DangerMouse and Penfold find themselves aboard a pirate ship in "The Hickory Dickory Dock Dilemma." The pirate king ("Cor...last time I picks up a crew in Penzance!") makes them walk the plank.
* Captain Skurvy's VillainSong in ''WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry'' references this:
--> "I'll make you swab the deck, and then I'll throw you in the brig! / I swear I'll make you walk the plank to right the wrong you did!... "
* In ''[[WesternAnimation/TheGrimAdventuresOfBillyAndMandy Billy and Mandy]]'s Big Boogey Adventure'', Billy is forced to do this by (undead) pirates at one point. Then, he launches into his "Scary-O" number.
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futz}}'': This happens to Futz in "High Seas Futz". He gets out of it by jumping up over the pirate's head, and hitting the mask face-first.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': In one of the ''WesternAnimation/OhYeahCartoons'' shorts, Cosmo does this to Timmy while they're playing pirate.

* In Hayao Miyazaki's ''Anime/FutureBoyConan'', PluckyGirl Lana has to go through it. She actually manages to stand on said plank for quite a while and NOT fall off. [[spoiler: The SmugSnake grabs her and takes her away, then Conan has to fight him to free Lana]]

* In ''ComicBook/SonicTheComic'' Captain Plunder makes Tails WalkThePlank into a pit in issue 23; however, Sonic reminds Tails he can fly. In another story, Captain Plunder makes Proctor Speckle Walk The Plank for eating his Old Carribean chocolate bars; however, Speckle changes into Mr Fry.

* ''Film/MontyPythonsTheMeaningOfLife''. In the ''The Crimson Permanent Assurance'' sketch, clerical workers force a captured executive to Walk The Plank. See it on Website/YouTube here, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecFBcpY9NHI starting at 3:10]].
* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'', Elizabeth and Jack are marooned in this way.

* Mama Fratelli makes Andi walk the plank off the pirate ship in ''Film/TheGoonies''.

* In ''Film/ThePirateMovie'', Frederic is forced to walk the plank when he leaves the pirates.
* Douglas Fairbanks infiltrates the evil pirates in ''Film/TheBlackPirate'', in order to get his revenge after they killed his father. Unfortunately they catch him betraying them, specifically by letting the beautiful lady hostage go. After a brief court-martial they make him walk the plank. A pirate loyal to Fairbanks surreptitiously cuts the ropes binding his hands, allowing him to survive.
* Anne makes the British crew she captures at the start of ''Film/AnneOfTheIndies'' walk the plank.
* In ''Film/CarryOnJack'', this is Roger's punishment for Albert, Fearless and Walter. In classic ''Carry On'' style, slapstick ensues.

* In ''Literature/FortunatelyTheMilk'', the time-traveling protagonist is captured by pirates. He insists on being made to walk the plank, on the grounds that [[GenreSavvy that's when pirates' victims are most often rescued]]. He has to explain the process to the pirates, who are relatively historically accurate and have never done it before (usually if they want to get rid of someone, they just slit their throat).

* On ''Series/OnceUponATime'', when Captain Hook retakes the ''Jolly Roger'' from Blackbeard, he forces Blackbeard to walk the plank and offers the rest of the crew two choices: accept him as the new captain or follow the old one. Ariel also walks the plank, but voluntarily. (She reassumes her natural mermaid form upon entering the water, so she's alright.)

* In an episode of ''Series/TheWiggles'', Captain Feathersword tries to teach Wags the Dog how to do this. Wags claims he already knows how, and shows him by tying a rope to the plank and walking it like a dog. Captain Feathersword is not amused.
* The "Enigma" challenge in ''Series/BoyardLand''. Here, Captain Fouras asks a riddle while the candidates are on slowly retreating planks above water... with a few crocodiles in it.

* Music/{{Alestorm}}, being a pirate metal band, features this in at least some of their songs, such as "Captain Morgan's Revenge" and "Keelhauled."

* One possible death sequence in ''VideoGame/KingsQuestIII''. If Alexander gets caught by the pirates while trying to explore the ship, they’ll make him walk the plank, where he will he attacked by a shark (the description claims the pirates are rooting for it). A twist on this trope is that the pirates make him walk from the aft end of the ship rather than from the sides as in most depictions.

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Dizzy}} Bubble Dizzy]]'' begins with Dizzy being forced to walk the plank off a pirate ship. He catches the edge of the plank, but falls in after a pirate jumps on his hand a few times.
* In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'', Captain Hook and his crew force Sora and his friends to do this. Fortunately, Sora discovers his happy thought and flies, turning the tables on them.
* In ''VideoGame/Sly3HonorAmongThieves'', Captain [=LeFwee=] and his crew force Sly to walk the plank during the "Operation: Reverse Double-Cross". Sly even chews out [=LeFwee=] for making him walk the plank. Fortunately, Murray was waiting for him right underneath.
* In ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFuckboys'' this is one of Foxy's attacks. Its low damage is compensated for by its high chance to inflict paralysis, making it a GameBreaker and a life-saver against most bosses (since ContractualBossImmunity is rare in this series). The absurdity of making someone walk the plank in a SuckECheeses is lampshaded in the move's description.

* Happens three times in ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance''.
** The first time is in an early arc where Bun-Bun decides to "play" pirate in North Virginia. He makes a rich, elderly couple walk the plank off their own yacht. Fortunately for them they were in the shallows, and for that bit of bad navigation Bun-Bun makes Kiki walk the plank as well, telling her to "roll those two lardasses into the deep end" when she gets down there.
** The second time is during the "Oceans Unmoving" story arc, where Calix and Honest Stu are forced to walk the plank by the pirates and leaf people combined. This is considered the worst fate possible in Timeless Space.
** The third time is during the sea voyage to Africa. The captain agrees to allow Riff to build one on his ship, after he learns that all the carrot cakes have been stolen. Of course, Riff adds explosives, which go off when a seagull lands on the plank, damaging the ship. The captain quickly creates a plank out of a folding deck chair and makes Riff walk it.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'', fitting with her PirateGirl theme [[KillerDM Vriska Serket]] forced [[AllTrollsAreDifferent trolls]] via MindControl she captured to [[https://www.homestuck.com/story/2460 walk the plank]]... Into the mouth of her [[GiantSpider spider]] [[AbusiveAlienParents lusus]] to make sure she stayed [[HorrorHunger sated]].

* ''WesternAnimation/TheBackyardigans'' plays this trope straight in "Pirate Treasure" and "Fly Girl", but surprisingly averts it in "Pirate Camp".

* A WesternAnimation/WoodyWoodpecker cartoon had Woody being forced to walk the plank several times by a pirate dog. Each time he did it, Woody would walk over the edge of the plank, upside-down along the underside of it and would then somehow come up behind the dog and jab him in the rear, causing ''him'' to jump into the water.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePerilsOfPenelopePitstop''. The Hooded Claw attempts to force Penelope to walk the plank in the episode "Arabian Desert Danger". And, yes, the incongruity of forcing someone to walk the plank in the desert was {{Lampshaded}}. The cannonballs were an interesting addition, though.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheMarvelousMisadventuresOfFlapjack'': In "Liar, Liar, You For Hire?", Captain Johnny makes K'nuckles walk the plank into a SharkPool.
* This is the result of a "Plankable Offense" in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Grojband}}'' episode "On the Air and Out to Sea".

* In the Disney ''Disney/PeterPan'' movie, after capturing the Darling kids and the Lost Boys, Captain Hook offers them a choice -- join his crew and become pirates, or walk the plank. Wendy, the oldest of the Darlings, chooses the plank. Peter is able to rescue her before the big splash, confusing Hook and his crew.

* This fan-art of ''WebAnimation/BrawlOfTheObjects'' has the characters as pirates on a ship, and Shieldy is forcing Controlly to walk the plank. Avast me hearty, ye need to walk th' plank! Arrrrrg!

* In ''ComicBook/TheFurtherAdventuresOfIndianaJones'' #2, Indy and GirlOfTheWeek Elaine Dunne are forced to walk the plank by the treacherous Mr. Black. This saves their lives when Black's freighter is [[VillainousRescue torpedoed by a Nazi U-boat]]: Indy and Elaine are flung into the ocean rather than going down with the ship.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Films — Animated]]

[[folder:Pinball]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]

* In ''Webcomic/DubiousCompany'', after Walter [[TheMutiny takes over]] Barry's ship, he makes the former captain do this while the ship [[PokeThePoodle is beached]].

* In ''WebComic/{{Homestuck}}'', fitting with her PirateGirl theme [[KillerDM Vriska Serket]] forced [[AllTrollsAreDifferent trolls]] via MindControl she captured to [[https://www.homestuck.com/story/2460 walk the plank]]... Into the mouth of her [[GiantSpider spider]] [[AbusiveAlienParents lusus]] to make sure she stayed [[HorrorHunger sated]].

* Old-style ''Series/{{Batman}}'': [[YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe "By thunder, thee will walk the plank deck."]]

!!Examples

[[folder:Audio Play]]

[[folder:Films -- Animated]]

--> '''[[spoiler: Captain James Hook]]:''' ''(Dryly)'' She can fly, you cretins.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* In the appropriately named ''Series/DoctorWho'' story ''The Pirate Planet'', the Captain gives this description: "The theory is very simple. You walk along it. At the end, you fall off. Drop one thousand feet. Dead." Atypically, the plank is over a cliff, not the ocean (The Captain's ship is the entire planet of Zanak, and his base is in a mountain).
** The [[TheNthDoctor Eleventh]] Doctor almost does this in "The Curse of the Black Spot".
** Also seen in "Enlightenment", with the Eternals vanishing the moment they go over the side (the human bodies they inhabit, of course, would not be so unaffected).

** This was referenced in the pilot episode of the ''RockAndChips'' trilogy when after being told by the school gym teacher to buzz off, Del and his gang suggest heading to the park, and Slater protests that he doesn't want to walk the plank again. Del assures him that grown-ups don't play pirates. However, when the gang are seen hanging out in the Ritz Cinema (where Del's mother Joan works), Slater is soaking wet.
* A "fantasy" episode of ''Series/MarriedWithChildren'' was a pirate epic. Three lovely wenches were offered a choice: sleep with Bud, or walk the plank. Poor Bud can't get laid in a fantasy episode.
* On ''Series/OnceUponATime'', when Captain Hook retakes the ''Jolly Roger'' from Blackbeard, he forces Blackbeard to walk the plank and offers the rest of the crew two choices: accept him as the new captain or follow the old one. Ariel also walks the plank, but voluntarily. (She reassumes her natural mermaid form upon entering the water, so she's alright.)
* In an episode of ''Series/TheWiggles'', Captain Feathersword tries to teach Wags the Dog how to do this. Wags claims he already knows how, and shows him by tying a rope to the plank and walking it like a dog. Captain Feathersword is not amused.

* ''Series/{{Krypton}}'' opens with Val-El being forced to leave the protection of Kandor due to his heretic belief in life beyond Krypton. He's made to walk a plank at the edge of the dome, which is then dropped from beneath him to send him plummeting to the icy depths.

[[folder:Newspaper Comics]]
* Played with in ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes''.
-->'''Calvin:''' Run up the skull and crossbones! Prepare the plank!
-->'''Hobbes:''' Our ship IS a plank.
-->'''Calvin:''' And you're going to walk it, wise guy!
* Happens in an issue of ''[[ComicStrip/LittleNemo Little Nemo in Slumberland]]''.
* ''ComicStrip/TheFarSide'':
** A pirate seems to be whistling and dancing off the plank, only for the captain to grab him by the ear and say "Oh no, you'll ''walk'' the plank like everyone else!"
** After a victim takes the plunge, a line of pirates holds up number ratings as with a diving competition.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]