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'''Warning: Often serves as a DeathTrope, and frequently involves spoilers.'''

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'''Warning: Often serves as a DeathTrope, {{Death Trope|s}}, and frequently involves spoilers.'''
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*''Fanfic/VoltesVVersusVoltronTheGodaikinWars'' (''Anime/VoltesV''/''Anime/{{Voltron}}''): Anime/{{Voltron}} was this, except they couldn't even fulfill their use to Paul the Imjad. He thinks they're buffoonish and is laughing when Voltes V tears them apart.
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* {{Downplayed}} in ''Fanfic/TruthAndConsequences'' by [[spoiler:Hawk Moth's backer]]; having gotten what they need from him, they make no effort to help either side of the conflict.

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* {{Downplayed}} in ''Fanfic/TruthAndConsequences'' by [[spoiler:Hawk Moth's backer]]; backers]]; having gotten what they need from him, they make no effort to help either side of the conflict.conflict. [[spoiler: Although, they do briefly discuss killing him once he's been transformed into an EldritchAbomination by the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous, though it's treated as nothing but a passing thought, and is rendered moot since Ladybug and Chat Noir kill him anyway]].
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* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', the [[VillainTeamUp alliance]] between Lucius Malfoy and Baron Von Strucker comes to a sudden end when [[spoiler:Malfoy decides [[GeneralFailure Strucker]] is a liability and kills him (after drugging him and stealing the secrets of controlling the Winter Soldier), seizing control of HYDRA in the process]].

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* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', the [[VillainTeamUp alliance]] between Lucius Malfoy and Baron Von von Strucker comes to a sudden end when [[spoiler:Malfoy decides [[GeneralFailure Strucker]] is a liability and kills him (after drugging him and stealing the secrets of controlling the Winter Soldier), seizing control of HYDRA in the process]].

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* ''Fanfic/ThePiratesSoldier'': When the Kuramitsu family announces that Mihoshi is going to marry Heero Yuy to seal their alliance with the Jurai Empire, Misao mistakenly thinks she's been forced into it and decides to contact Kagato to stop the marriage by kidnapping Heero. [[GoneHorriblyWrong It backfires horribly on him]] as, not only the marriage isn't called off, but his family has already launched an investigation and is close to find out he was involved. When he tries to get Kagato to bail him out, his response is to basically ditch him and leave him to his fate as he'd already fulfilled his end of the bargain. Their last exchange pretty much sums it up:
-->'''Misao''': You're betraying me, then?\\
'''Kagato''': I've done not such thing, boy. Contrary to popular expressions, political intrigue is not a game; [[TheSocialDarwinist it is survival of the fittest]]. If you lack the resourcefulness to look out for yourself, then your value to me is limited at best. Good luck, Lord Misao. It looks like you're going to need it.
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* ''Webcomic/NaruHinaChronicles'': [[spoiler:Evil Sasuke]] says this to [[spoiler:Karin]] after [[spoiler:she]] [[TakingTheBullet steps in front of Sasuke to prevent him from getting stabbed]] by [[spoiler:his evil clone]].
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* ''[[Fanfic/SixesAndSevens Agent Carter: Phantom Pain]]'': Its revealed in ''Phantom Pain'' that the Soviet government decided to purge Leviathan. It's alluded that they grew far beyond their mandate for Stalin's liking, and their failure to steal Howard Stark's technology was the final nail in the coffin. Further, Fennhoff's work is already in NKVD hands, so they don't need him for further work.

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* ''[[Fanfic/SixesAndSevens Agent Carter: Phantom Pain]]'': Its revealed in ''Phantom Pain'' that the Soviet government decided to purge Leviathan. It's alluded that they grew far beyond their mandate for Stalin's liking, and their failure to steal Howard Stark's technology was the final nail in the coffin. Further, Fennhoff's work is already in NKVD hands, so they don't need him for further work.
** On the other side, Cassandra Romulus declares that the Council of Nine have served their purpose and her new vision of HYDRA doesn't require all of them, so she gasses them to death. She later states a similar sentiment for the Arena Club [[spoiler: before blowing it up]].
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* ''Fanfic/TheSoulmateTimeline'': This is Kyubey's opinion on any Magical Girl that survives for too long. Ideally, in Kyubey's mind, no Magical Girl should not be active for more than two or three years without turning into a Witch. Part of this is pragmatic, as the system requires a constant stream of Witches to be created, and partially this is for the sake of avoiding trouble, as on other planets large groups of long lived Magical Girls have gotten together and started to severely interfere with Incubator operations. The Earth is a very valuable source of energy for the Incubators, and they don't want it screwed with. The Magical Girls that Kyubey prefers to last longer are those who are good at getting other Magical Girls to contract, like Mami, who inspired many other girls to become Magical Girls who ultimately were unable to match her image as TheParagon and fell into despair over it, or [[SerialKiller Akasuki Suzembachi]], whose been active for decades tricking girls into contracting to harvest them for Grief Seeds, which in turn provides Kyubey with a steady supply of energy.

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* ''Fanfic/TheSoulmateTimeline'': This is Kyubey's opinion on any Magical Girl that survives for too long. Ideally, in Kyubey's mind, no Magical Girl should not be active for more than two or three years without turning into a Witch. Part of this is pragmatic, as the system requires a constant stream of Witches to be created, and partially this is for the sake of avoiding trouble, as on other planets large groups of long lived Magical Girls have gotten together and started to severely interfere with Incubator operations. The Earth is a very valuable source of energy for the Incubators, and they don't want it screwed with. Kyubey has found that Magical Girls who against all odds make it to six years tend to really start become problematic since they've likely lasted long enough to figure out the AwfulTruth of the business and become rather hostile to him. The Magical Girls that Kyubey prefers to last longer are those who are good at getting other Magical Girls to contract, like Mami, who inspired many other girls to become Magical Girls who ultimately were unable to match her image as TheParagon and fell into despair over it, or [[SerialKiller Akasuki Suzembachi]], whose been active for decades tricking girls into contracting to harvest them for Grief Seeds, which in turn provides Kyubey with a steady supply of energy.
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[[AC:''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'']]
* ''Fanfic/ThomasAbridged'': The Malevolance kills all his followers after he’s been freed.

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* ''Fanfic/FailureToExplode'' has a non-fatal example when Katsuki [[ForWantOfANail doesn't pass U.A.'s Entrance Exam]]. Since their plan to leech off his future fame and success is clearly a bust, the staff at Aldera Middle School stop ignoring his {{Barbaric Bully}}ing. In fact, since ''Izuku'' made it in, and they all recognize just how screwed they'll be if he exposes the years of torment he suffered under their watch, they come down ''HARD'' on Katsuki, as his KarmaHoudiniWarranty completely expires.

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* ''Fanfic/FailureToExplode'' has a non-fatal example when Katsuki [[ForWantOfANail [[PointOfDivergence doesn't pass U.A.'s Entrance Exam]]. Since their plan to leech off his future fame and success is clearly a bust, the staff at Aldera Middle School stop ignoring his {{Barbaric Bully}}ing. In fact, since ''Izuku'' made it in, and they all recognize just how screwed they'll be if he exposes the years of torment he suffered under their watch, they come down ''HARD'' on Katsuki, as his KarmaHoudiniWarranty completely expires.



* ''Fanfic/{{Space to Breathe|Naruto}}'': While the Mountain Daimyo Riku seems like a ReasonableAuthorityFigure at first, it eventually becomes clear that his willingness to aid Sakura and her team only goes so far, and he eventually requests that she [[spoiler:assassinate the Fire Daimyo]] in order to secure a comfortable position for himself. Sakura consequently turns the tables and pulls this on ''him'', [[spoiler:working with Ginmaru to assassinate him and fake his slow decline]].









[[AC:Franchise/StargateVerse]]

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[[AC:''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba'']]
* ''Fanfic/BladeOfDemonSalvation'': In canon, Muzan’s first shown human family is never seen again after Muzan sends them home, [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse leaving their fates unclear]]. Here, we actually see Muzan subject them to this trope, taking them to the Infinity Castle after deciding they’re now a liability to him at this point and leaving them to be killed by a demon, though the deaths are mercifully not shown.
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[[AC:''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'']]:

* ''Fanfic/TheSoulmateTimeline'': This is Kyubey's opinion on any Magical Girl that survives for too long. Ideally, in Kyubey's mind, no Magical Girl should not be active for more than two or three years without turning into a Witch. Part of this is pragmatic, as the system requires a constant stream of Witches to be created, and partially this is for the sake of avoiding trouble, as on other planets large groups of long lived Magical Girls have gotten together and started to severely interfere with Incubator operations. The Earth is a very valuable source of energy for the Incubators, and they don't want it screwed with. The Magical Girls that Kyubey prefers to last longer are those who are good at getting other Magical Girls to contract, like Mami, who inspired many other girls to become Magical Girls who ultimately were unable to match her image as TheParagon and fell into despair over it, or [[SerialKiller Akasuki Suzembachi]], whose been active for decades tricking girls into contracting to harvest them for Grief Seeds, which in turn provides Kyubey with a steady supply of energy.
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[[AC:''Franchise/{{Supergirl}}'']]

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[[AC:''Franchise/{{Supergirl}}'']][[AC:''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'']]
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* ''Fanfic/WeightOffYourShoulder'': After the new Ladybug voids Chloe's KarmaHoudiniWarranty by publicly reminding Paris of the full extent of Chloe’s crimes, [[MisplacedKindergartenTeacher Ms. Bustier]] offers her full support... only for Chloe to dismiss her efforts. While she sincerely thanks her for all the times she helped her deal with her classmates by making ''them'' apologize to ''her'' and forgive all her bullying, she's still "just a teacher" and doesn't have the resources Chloe needs to deal with her legal woes. This forces Ms. Bustier [[HeelRealization to realize how much she enabled]] a [[TheUnapologetic completely unapologetic]] SpoiledBrat.

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* ''Fanfic/WeightOffYourShoulder'': After the new Ladybug voids Chloe's Chloé's KarmaHoudiniWarranty by publicly reminding Paris of the full extent of Chloe’s Chloé’s crimes, [[MisplacedKindergartenTeacher Ms. Bustier]] offers her full support... only for Chloe Chloé to dismiss her efforts. While she sincerely thanks her for all the times she helped her deal with her classmates by making ''them'' apologize to ''her'' and forgive all her bullying, she's still "just a teacher" and doesn't have the resources Chloe Chloé needs to deal with her legal woes. This forces Ms. Bustier [[HeelRealization to realize how much she enabled]] a [[TheUnapologetic completely unapologetic]] SpoiledBrat.
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[[AC:''WesternAnimation/InvaderZim'']]
* ''Fanfic/WitchingHour'': As we find out at the end of the story, [[spoiler: after he was done interrogating Nick for information about the witchcraft superstitions that the kingdom believed in, as part of his plan to frame Gaz for being a witch, Zim murdered him and hid his remains somewhere nobody would ever find them.]]
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Blade On A Stick is a disambig


* The ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' plays this interestingly in the [[BadFuture Dark World]], as Rancor[[spoiler:/Disruption]] pulls this on her ''weapon'', the [[BladeOnAStick Concept Killing Spear]], destroying it as soon as it's fulfilled its purpose of [[spoiler:allowing her to steal Destruction's power from Discord]]. And this is {{justified|trope}}, since she's aware that the Spear could be [[HoistByHisOwnPetard used against her]], so disposes of it as soon as she doesn't need it anymore. It was also later explained that the gods had been ''wanting'' to destroy the dang thing for thousands of years.

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* The ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' plays this interestingly in the [[BadFuture Dark World]], as Rancor[[spoiler:/Disruption]] pulls this on her ''weapon'', the [[BladeOnAStick Concept Killing Spear]], Spear, destroying it as soon as it's fulfilled its purpose of [[spoiler:allowing her to steal Destruction's power from Discord]]. And this is {{justified|trope}}, since she's aware that the Spear could be [[HoistByHisOwnPetard used against her]], so disposes of it as soon as she doesn't need it anymore. It was also later explained that the gods had been ''wanting'' to destroy the dang thing for thousands of years.
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* ''[[Fanfic/SixesAndSevens Agent Carter: Phantom Pain]]'': Its revealed in ''Phantom Pain'' that the Soviet government decided to purge Leviathan. It's alluded that they grew far beyond their mandate for Stalin's liking, and their failure to steal Howard Stark's technology was the final nail in the coffin. Further, Fennhoff's work is already in NKVD hands, so they don't need him for further work.
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[[AC:''Literature/TheTwilightSaga'']]
* ''{{Fanfic/Luminosity}}'':
** After turning [[spoiler:Pera]], the Volturi cut away her bond with [[spoiler:Brady]] via [[MindRape Chelsea's power]] and kill him, since allowing her to maintain a relationship to him would make her a less effective SuperSoldier, and he's not otherwise useful to them.
** When Caius first set out to TakeOverTheWorld, he and [[DarkMistress Athenodora]] started turning people more-or-less at random hoping they'd develop [[SuperpowerLottery powers]]. Many of the ones who turned out not to be useful they simply killed.
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* ''Fanfic/WeightOffYourShoulder'': After the new Ladybug voids Chloe's KarmaHoudiniWarranty by publicly exposing her crimes, [[MisplacedKindergartenTeacher Ms. Bustier]] offers her full support... only for Chloe to dismiss her efforts. While she sincerely thanks her for all the times she helped her deal with her classmates by making ''them'' apologize to ''her'' and forgive all her bullying, she's still "just a teacher" and doesn't have the resources Chloe needs to deal with her legal woes. This forces Ms. Bustier [[HeelRealization to realize how much she enabled]] a [[TheUnapologetic completely unapologetic]] SpoiledBrat.

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* ''Fanfic/WeightOffYourShoulder'': After the new Ladybug voids Chloe's KarmaHoudiniWarranty by publicly exposing her reminding Paris of the full extent of Chloe’s crimes, [[MisplacedKindergartenTeacher Ms. Bustier]] offers her full support... only for Chloe to dismiss her efforts. While she sincerely thanks her for all the times she helped her deal with her classmates by making ''them'' apologize to ''her'' and forgive all her bullying, she's still "just a teacher" and doesn't have the resources Chloe needs to deal with her legal woes. This forces Ms. Bustier [[HeelRealization to realize how much she enabled]] a [[TheUnapologetic completely unapologetic]] SpoiledBrat.
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* ''Fanfic/WeightOffYourShoulder'': After the new Ladybug voids Chloe's KarmaHoudiniWarranty by publicly exposing her crimes, [[MisplacedKindergartenTeacher Ms. Bustier]] offers her full support... only for Chloe to dismiss her efforts. While she sincerely thanks her for all the times she helped her deal with her classmates by making ''them'' apologize to ''her'' and forgive all her bullying, she's still "just a teacher" and doesn't have the resources Chloe needs to deal with her legal woes. This forces Ms. Bustier [[HeelRealization to realize how much she enabled]] a [[TheUnapologetic completely unapologetic]] SpoiledBrat.
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[[AC:Franchise/StargateVerse]]
* In ''Fanfic/WhatYouAlreadyKnow: Lost City'', after Kinsey attempts to have Daniel Jackson killed because he believes Daniel's new psychic abilities threaten his personal agenda, he is shot by an assassin hired by the Trust. A Trust operative is later shown reflecting that Kinsey's attempt to have Daniel killed in defiance of their orders proved to their organisation that Kinsey couldn't be trusted to follow their preferred agenda, as they felt that Daniel's abilities were currently useful in the continued war against the Goa'uld while Kinsey could be replaced eventually.
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* In ''Fanfic/ViridianTheGreenGuide'', after multiple failures, [culminating in the [[spoiler:destruction of her entire hive]], All For One decides that [[spoiler:Queen Bee]] is no longer useful to him, and orders them killed.

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* In ''Fanfic/ViridianTheGreenGuide'', after multiple failures, [culminating culminating in the [[spoiler:destruction of her entire hive]], All For One decides that [[spoiler:Queen Bee]] is no longer useful to him, and orders them killed.
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[[AC:''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'']]

* ''Fanfic/CinderellaAndPrinceCharming'': [[spoiler:Ironwood orders Cinder's execution after her interrogation, once they're sure they've gotten everything they can out of her. While he tries to dress it up as justice, it's blatantly obvious to everyone that it's more about disposing of a useless asset]].
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Weapon Of Choice is now a disambiguation page. Examples that don't fit the tropes listed on the disambig will be removed.


* The ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' plays this interestingly in the [[BadFuture Dark World]], as Rancor[[spoiler:/Disruption]] pulls this on her ''[[WeaponOfChoice weapon]]'', the [[BladeOnAStick Concept Killing Spear]], destroying it as soon as it's fulfilled its purpose of [[spoiler:allowing her to steal Destruction's power from Discord]]. And this is {{justified|trope}}, since she's aware that the Spear could be [[HoistByHisOwnPetard used against her]], so disposes of it as soon as she doesn't need it anymore. It was also later explained that the gods had been ''wanting'' to destroy the dang thing for thousands of years.

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* The ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' plays this interestingly in the [[BadFuture Dark World]], as Rancor[[spoiler:/Disruption]] pulls this on her ''[[WeaponOfChoice weapon]]'', ''weapon'', the [[BladeOnAStick Concept Killing Spear]], destroying it as soon as it's fulfilled its purpose of [[spoiler:allowing her to steal Destruction's power from Discord]]. And this is {{justified|trope}}, since she's aware that the Spear could be [[HoistByHisOwnPetard used against her]], so disposes of it as soon as she doesn't need it anymore. It was also later explained that the gods had been ''wanting'' to destroy the dang thing for thousands of years.

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* ''Fanfic/FailureToExplode'' has a non-fatal example when Katsuki [[ForWantOfANail doesn't pass U.A.'s Entrance Exam]]. Since their plan to leech off his future fame and success is clearly a bust, the staff at Aldera Middle School stop ignoring his {{Barbaric Bully}}ing. In fact, since ''Izuku'' made it in, and they all recognize just how screwed they'll be if he exposes the years of torment he suffered under their watch, they come down ''HARD'' on Katsuki, as his KarmaHoudiniWarranty completely expires.



* ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4353865/1/Kage-no-Naruto Kage no Naruto]]'' takes this to an almost [[StupidEvil idiotic]] extreme. Naruto kills of several of his minions because they're no longer necessary. They're still very useful; just not necessary. Of course, given how his modus operandi seems to be ForTheEvulz, this is hardly surprising.

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* ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4353865/1/Kage-no-Naruto Kage no Naruto]]'' takes this to an almost [[StupidEvil idiotic]] extreme. Naruto kills of off several of his minions because they're no longer necessary. They're still very useful; just not necessary. Of course, given how his modus operandi seems to be ForTheEvulz, this is hardly surprising.

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* The ''Fanfic/DeliverUsFromEvilSeries'' has this in ''Mortality''. Culverton Smith [[ColdBloodedTorture tortures Holmes with an inch of his life]] and gloats over the guy while he's dying. This, in turn, [[BigBrotherInstinct trips off Watson's protective instincts]] and ''[[BewareTheNiceOnes really pisses him off]]''. It doesn't help Smith that Watson most likely ''[[DeadlyDoctor kills Smith with his medical skills.]]''

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* The ''Fanfic/DeliverUsFromEvilSeries'' has this in ''Mortality''. ''Fanfic/DeliverUsFromEvilSeries'': In ''Mortality'', Culverton Smith [[ColdBloodedTorture tortures Holmes with an inch of his life]] and gloats over the guy while he's dying. This, in turn, [[BigBrotherInstinct trips off Watson's protective instincts]] and ''[[BewareTheNiceOnes really pisses him off]]''. It doesn't help Smith that Watson most likely ''[[DeadlyDoctor kills Smith with his medical skills.]]''



* In ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'', [[EvilTwin Satan Girl]] is worried about the possibility of [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes Mordru]] obliterating her once her work is done. Hoping to avoid this scenario, she seduces him.

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* In ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'', ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'': [[EvilTwin Satan Girl]] is worried about the possibility of [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes Mordru]] obliterating her once her work is done. Hoping to avoid this scenario, she seduces him.



* When the Changeling protagonist of ''[[Fanfic/BecomingTheMaskTrollhunters Becoming the Mask]]'' finds out Gunmar's plan to bring [[TheNightThatNeverEnds Eternal Night]] wasn't just a metaphor for trolls taking over the surface, he anticipates this because Changelings' immunity to sunlight is the main reason [[BigBad Gunmar]] keeps them around. This is one of the motivations for his HeelFaceTurn.

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* When the Changeling protagonist of ''[[Fanfic/BecomingTheMaskTrollhunters Becoming the Mask]]'' Mask]]'': When the Changeling protagonist finds out Gunmar's plan to bring [[TheNightThatNeverEnds Eternal Night]] wasn't just a metaphor for trolls taking over the surface, he anticipates this because Changelings' immunity to sunlight is the main reason [[BigBad Gunmar]] keeps them around. This is one of the motivations for his HeelFaceTurn.
HeelFaceTurn.

[[AC:''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'']]
* ''Fanfic/NobledarkImperium'': The ancient Mon-Keigh, viciously predatory ogre-like aliens whose name would remain as an Eldar insult for perceived barbarians, used to serve as the Old Ones' {{Unwitting Pawn}}s as a sort of engineered trial by fire -- the Old Ones would subtly steer them towards an inhabited planet, and judge the locals' worthiness for uplifting based on whether they survived the Mon-Keigh's visit. Over time, as the War in Heaven grew increasingly fierce, the Mon-Keigh grew increasingly difficult to control and the Old Ones' shifting priorities during the War in Heaven made the indirect manipulations that the Mon-Keigh had been central to less and less important. The final straw came in the form of the creation of the Krork, which made the older species entirely obsolete; the Old Ones' first test for their new creations was to set them on the Mon-Keigh, who were nearly entirely eradicated.

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[[AC:''Franchise/DanganRonpa'']]
* ''Fanfic/OrDidItEatTheLittleGirl'': During the final trial, [[spoiler:The Director]] makes very clear that they consider [[spoiler:Tsumugi]] to have outlived their usefulness and attempts to paint them as TheScapegoat.




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* ''Fanfic/TheKarmaOfLies'' has Lila pull a non-lethal variant on ''Adrien'' after Ladybug and Hawkmoth [[TheUnmasking unmask each other]] and the latter is arrested. Realizing the delicacy of her position, she decides to cut her losses and get out while the getting's good, setting Adrien up as [[TheScapegoat her fall-guy]].
* {{Downplayed}} in ''Fanfic/TruthAndConsequences'' by [[spoiler:Hawk Moth's backer]]; having gotten what they need from him, they make no effort to help either side of the conflict.




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* ''Fanfic/Team7Ascension'': Komon says this word-for-word to Naruto after Naruto decides that [[spoiler:he'll go rogue in order to save Kakashi]].

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[[AC:''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'']]
* ''Fanfic/Digimon02TheStoryWeNeverTold'': This is part of the reason why [[spoiler:Oikawa killed Ken]]. Arukenimon later realizes that this also applies to her and Mummymon, and starts plotting against their master in hopes of avoiding a similar fate. Ultimately, [[spoiler:Oikawa forcefully fuses the pair into a monstrously deformed digimon, both to punish them for their plotting and to distract the Digidestined]].



[[AC:''Franchise/DragonBall'']]
* In ''Fanfic/DragonBallZDynasty'', King Vegeta II had his mate executed immediately after his son was born.




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* ''Fanfic/ForHisOwnSake'': Once Chisato gets what she wants out of [[spoiler:Mutsumi]], she decides that she's so [[EnragedByIdiocy annoyed by their naivete]] that she orders them to be killed as well.


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* ''Fanfic/CheatCodeSupportStrategist'': All For One [[spoiler:takes Stain's Quirk]], then declares that they're no longer useful to him and has them disposed of.
* In the PeggySue work ''[[Fanfic/FlashbackMHA Flashback]]'', [[spoiler:Eri of all people]] intends to deal with any villains that they feel are worth the effort of redeeming or negotiating with in this fashion, ultimately stripping them of their Quirks before having them executed.


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* ''Fanfic/EchoesKagaseo'':
** The Madara of Izunami's world attempted to dispose of her after finding [[spoiler:a new apprentice that wasn't a woman]]. She made her displeasure with that decision ''quite'' clear.
** Ironically enough, [[spoiler:Alpha]] was struck by this before suffering a FateWorseThanDeath.

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Resorted by source materials.


* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', the [[VillainTeamUp alliance]] between Lucius Malfoy and Baron Von Strucker comes to a sudden end when [[spoiler:Malfoy decides [[GeneralFailure Strucker]] is a liability and kills him (after drugging him and stealing the secrets of controlling the Winter Soldier), seizing control of HYDRA in the process]].



* ''[[Fanfic/JusticeLeagueOfEquestria Mare of Steel]]'': ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} uses [[GeneralRipper Steel Wing]] in order to gather intelligence on Rainbow Dash/Supermare, but when he decides that Steel Wing's too impulsive, he tips Princess Luna off to his actions and lets him get arrested (and also wipes all memory he has of Brainiac).



* Said almost verbatim by [[spoiler:Evil!Alice]] to Arawn in the second sequel to ''Fanfic/DisneysWarACrossoverStory'', titled ''The Final Adventure'', after Arawn has let the heroes sneak into her bedroom to try to assassinate her.
-->[[spoiler:Evil!Alice]]: "While you’ve been ever so helpful to me, Arawn, so loyal, I’m afraid your usefulness has ended."



[[AC:''Franchise/FireEmblem'']]
* ''FanFic/ABrighterDark'': A rare ([[GreyAndGrayMorality somewhat]]) heroic example. Unlike the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemFates original story]], Garon gives his permission to Corrin to kill Hans in revenge for [[spoiler: stabbing her friend, Lilith, in the back with his ax,]] stating that he no longer has need for him anymore.



[[AC:''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'']]
* Creator/{{letmetellyouaboutmyfeels}}' ''Fanfic/MCURewrites'': In ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/11652651 Avengers: Civil War]]'', [[spoiler:Zemo kills the woman he had impersonate Wanda Maximoff to leave her body for the Avengers to find as part of his TakingYouWithMe gambit]].




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* In the ''[[Fanfic/ConsequencesMiraculousLadybug CONSEQUENCES]]'' series, Hawk Moth typically abandons Lila after her exposure.
** ''MAMA BEAR'' has him actively aiming to kill her by sending several akumas her way. The first informs her that in Hawk Moth's own words, "You've outlived your usefulness, exposed yourself as a willing agent, and generally been a self-important, egotistical pain in the ass."
* ''Fanfic/CrumblingDown'': After Lila has been exposed on live TV and is about to be arrested, Hawk Moth sends an akumatizing butterfly her way, knowing that she'll grab it. He does this not to give her any power or a chance to free herself, but solely so he can gloat about how he's discarding her now that she's no longer useful.

[[AC:''Franchise/MyHeroAcademia'']]
* In ''Fanfic/ViridianTheGreenGuide'', after multiple failures, [culminating in the [[spoiler:destruction of her entire hive]], All For One decides that [[spoiler:Queen Bee]] is no longer useful to him, and orders them killed.

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'']]
* ''Fanfic/TheLongingverse'': [[spoiler:As soon as Bloodwing becomes an Alicorn, he steals the energy of his minion, Black. He got better... [[DrivenToMadness In a manner of speaking...]]]]
* ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'':
** [[spoiler:[[EvilAllAlong Prince Jewelius]] convinces Queen Chrysalis to join forces with him in order to take over Equestria on Princess Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding day. However, when he decides he has more to win by painting himself and Twilight Sparkle as the heroes who stopped the invaders, he betrays the Changelings by helping Twilight defeat and imprison them while [[ManipulativeBastard turning everypony against the other heroes]], [[TheUsurper becoming Equestria's king]]. He announces one week later that the Changelings will be harnessed as slaves, but Chrysalis (whom he [[DidYouActuallyBelieve mocks for believing]] that there was an UnholyMatrimony going on between them) will have to be "put down" for being far too dangerous]].
** When [[spoiler:Jewelius]] tells the [[CorruptTheCutie corrupted]] Twilight's imprisoned loved ones that he'll marry her and [[DarwinistDesire father through her a powerful line of heirs]], he offhandedly mentions that if he happens to discover an even more powerful unicorn mare, he'll likely [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident stage an accident]] for Twilight. When he reveals his true colors to her, he gloats that excluding her, nearly all his pawns have outlived their usefulness to him.
* The ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' plays this interestingly in the [[BadFuture Dark World]], as Rancor[[spoiler:/Disruption]] pulls this on her ''[[WeaponOfChoice weapon]]'', the [[BladeOnAStick Concept Killing Spear]], destroying it as soon as it's fulfilled its purpose of [[spoiler:allowing her to steal Destruction's power from Discord]]. And this is {{justified|trope}}, since she's aware that the Spear could be [[HoistByHisOwnPetard used against her]], so disposes of it as soon as she doesn't need it anymore. It was also later explained that the gods had been ''wanting'' to destroy the dang thing for thousands of years.
* ''Fanfic/ThePowersOfHarmony'': Awareness of this trope and the fact that [[BigBad Cetus]] will probably enact it the moment she stops being useful is why [[TheDragon Eclipse]] begins to [[TheStarscream plot against her]].
* ''Fanfic/TheStarsAscendant'' has Luna call out Discord for being an idiot; his betrayal of Equestria was inevitable, but it was stupid of him to betray Equestria to someone who was going to pull this trope on him the moment he didn't need Discord's help anymore.
* Parodied and subverted in ''Fanfic/TealovesSteamyAdventure''. The Duchess tells Colt Skylark that he has failed her, and that the time has come to ''terminate'' him. Skylark, clearly familiar with this trope, checks to make sure he isn't standing on a trap door and looks around to see who's pointing a weapon at him. Instead, the Duchess hands him a stack of papers and explains that [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome it's his notice of termination of employment]], and now he just needs to sign the non-disclosure clause, the non-compete clause, etc etc.




to:

* ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'':
** [[spoiler:Danzo Shimura]], of all people, is on the receiving end of this. For several arcs, he'd been leaking out to Akatsuki intel on the jinchuriki's whereabouts, [[TheMillstone undermining Konoha's efforts to retrieve them]]. Come Chapter 90, it's revealed that [[spoiler:Obito Uchiha used Kotoamatsukami]] to implant the idea in [[spoiler:Danzo's head]], playing up on [[AmbitionIsEvil his personal ambitions]] to do the rest. [[spoiler:However, just in case, he had implanted a mental trigger to activate full mind control on Danzo, and once he fulfilled his purpose (of retrieving one of Pain's Rinnegan eyes), Obito ordered him to commit suicide via Reverse Tetragram Sealing.]]
** Much like his canon counterpart, Orochimaru doesn't think twice about disposing of minions once they're no longer useful to him or if they become a liablity. [[spoiler:This comes back to bite him ''hard'' when [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal Hebiko ends up defecting over anger at him abandoning her brother]], and her leaking intel about his whereabouts to the Allied Shinobi Forces directly leads to his death at the hands of Jiraiya and Tsunade.]]



[[AC:''Franchise/PowerRangers'']]
* The villains of ''Fanfic/PropheciesOfTheMorphingGrid'' dish these out as a matter of course. One particular instance is in the third story, where at what is otherwise a perfectly normal villain meeting, TheDragon, Dark Venom, [[TyrantTakesTheHelm who had been elected]] [[PresidentEvil President of the United States]] and has more than a little of TheAntichrist about him, suddenly and utterly nonchalantly executes two of the United Alliance of Evil's [[LesCollaborateurs human collaborators]], [[RightWingMilitiaFanatic paramilitary leader]] Colonel Wyman and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive robber-baron]] Sal Muldoon. Even the other villains are shocked at Venom's brutality, but he just shrugs and explains that he's already nationalized the two men's respective organizations, rendering them loose ends.




----


* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** ''[[Fanfic/JusticeLeagueOfEquestria Mare of Steel]]'': ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} uses [[GeneralRipper Steel Wing]] in order to gather intelligence on Rainbow Dash/Supermare, but when he decides that Steel Wing's too impulsive, he tips Princess Luna off to his actions and lets him get arrested (and also wipes all memory he has of Brainiac).
** The ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' plays this interestingly in the [[BadFuture Dark World]], as Rancor[[spoiler:/Disruption]] pulls this on her ''[[WeaponOfChoice weapon]]'', the [[BladeOnAStick Concept Killing Spear]], destroying it as soon as it's fulfilled its purpose of [[spoiler:allowing her to steal Destruction's power from Discord]]. And this is {{justified|trope}}, since she's aware that the Spear could be [[HoistByHisOwnPetard used against her]], so disposes of it as soon as she doesn't need it anymore. It was also later explained that the gods had been ''wanting'' to destroy the dang thing for thousands of years.
** ''Fanfic/ThePowersOfHarmony'': Awareness of this trope and the fact that [[BigBad Cetus]] will probably enact it the moment she stops being useful is why [[TheDragon Eclipse]] begins to [[TheStarscream plot against her]].
** ''Fanfic/TheLongingverse'': [[spoiler: As soon as Bloodwing becomes an Alicorn, he steals the energy of his minion, Black. He got better... [[DrivenToMadness In a manner of speaking...]] ]]
** ''Fanfic/TheStarsAscendant'' has Luna call out Discord for being an idiot; his betrayal of Equestria was inevitable, but it was stupid of him to betray Equestria to someone who was going to pull this trope on him the moment he didn't need Discord's help anymore.
** ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'':
*** [[spoiler:[[EvilAllAlong Prince Jewelius]] convinces Queen Chrysalis to join forces with him in order to take over Equestria on Princess Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding day. However, when he decides he has more to win by painting himself and Twilight Sparkle as the heroes who stopped the invaders, he betrays the Changelings by helping Twilight defeat and imprison them while [[ManipulativeBastard turning everypony against the other heroes]], [[TheUsurper becoming Equestria's king]]. He announces one week later that the Changelings will be harnessed as slaves, but Chrysalis (whom he [[DidYouActuallyBelieve mocks for believing]] that there was an UnholyMatrimony going on between them) will have to be "put down" for being far too dangerous.]]
*** When [[spoiler:Jewelius]] tells the [[CorruptTheCutie corrupted]] Twilight's imprisoned loved ones that he'll marry her and [[DarwinistDesire father through her a powerful line of heirs]], he offhandedly mentions that if he happens to discover an even more powerful unicorn mare, he'll likely [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident stage an accident]] for Twilight. When he reveals his true colors to her, he gloats that excluding her, nearly all his pawns have outlived their usefulness to him.
* The villains of ''Fanfic/PropheciesOfTheMorphingGrid'' dish these out as a matter of course. One particular instance is in the third story, where at what is otherwise a perfectly normal villain meeting, TheDragon, Dark Venom, [[TyrantTakesTheHelm who had been elected]] [[PresidentEvil President of the United States]] and has more than a little of TheAntichrist about him, suddenly and utterly nonchalantly executes two of the United Alliance of Evil's [[LesCollaborateurs human collaborators]], [[RightWingMilitiaFanatic paramilitary leader]] Colonel Wyman and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive robber-baron]] Sal Muldoon. Even the other villains are shocked at Venom's brutality, but he just shrugs and explains that he's already nationalized the two men's respective organizations, rendering them loose ends.
* Parodied and subverted in ''Fanfic/TealovesSteamyAdventure''. The Duchess tells Colt Skylark that he has failed her, and that the time has come to ''terminate'' him. Skylark, clearly familiar with this trope, checks to make sure he isn't standing on a trap door and looks around to see who's pointing a weapon at him. Instead, the Duchess hands him a stack of papers and explains that [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome it's his notice of termination of employment]], and now he just needs to sign the non-disclosure clause, the non-compete clause, etc etc.
* Said almost verbatim by [[spoiler: Evil!Alice]] to Arawn in the second sequel to ''Fanfic/DisneysWarACrossoverStory'', titled ''The Final Adventure'', after Arawn has let the heroes sneak into her bedroom to try to assassinate her.
--> [[spoiler: Evil!Alice]]: "While you’ve been ever so helpful to me, Arawn, so loyal, I’m afraid your usefulness has ended."
* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', the [[VillainTeamUp alliance]] between Lucius Malfoy and Baron Von Strucker comes to a sudden end when [[spoiler: Malfoy decides [[GeneralFailure Strucker]] is a liability and kills him (after drugging him and stealing the secrets of controlling the Winter Soldier), seizing control of HYDRA in the process.]]
* ''FanFic/ABrighterDark'': A rare ([[GreyAndGrayMorality somewhat]]) heroic example. Unlike the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemFates original story]], Garon gives his permission to Corrin to kill Hans in revenge for [[spoiler: stabbing her friend, Lilith, in the back with his ax,]] stating that he no longer has need for him anymore.
* Creator/{{letmetellyouaboutmyfeels}}' ''Fanfic/MCURewrites'': In ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/11652651 Avengers: Civil War]]'', [[spoiler:Zemo kills the woman he had impersonate Wanda Maximoff to leave her body for the Avengers to find as part of his TakingYouWithMe gambit.]]
* ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'':
** [[spoiler:Danzo Shimura]], of all people, is on the receiving end of this. For several arcs, he'd been leaking out to Akatsuki intel on the jinchuriki's whereabouts, [[TheMillstone undermining Konoha's efforts to retrieve them]]. Come Chapter 90, it's revealed that [[spoiler:Obito Uchiha used Kotoamatsukami]] to implant the idea in [[spoiler:Danzo's head]], playing up on [[AmbitionIsEvil his personal ambitions]] to do the rest. [[spoiler:However, just in case, he had implanted a mental trigger to activate full mind control on Danzo, and once he fulfilled his purpose (of retrieving one of Pain's Rinnegan eyes), Obito ordered him to commit suicide via Reverse Tetragram Sealing.]]
** Much like his canon counterpart, Orochimaru doesn't think twice about disposing of minions once they're no longer useful to him or if they become a liablity. [[spoiler:This comes back to bite him ''hard'' when [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal Hebiko ends up defecting over anger at him abandoning her brother]], and her leaking intel about his whereabouts to the Allied Shinobi Forces directly leads to his death at the hands of Jiraiya and Tsunade.]]
* In ''Fanfic/ViridianTheGreenGuide'', after multiple failures, [[spoiler:culminating in the destruction of her entire hive, All For One decides that Queen Bee is no longer useful to him, and orders her killed]].

to:

\n----\n\n\n* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':\n** ''[[Fanfic/JusticeLeagueOfEquestria Mare of Steel]]'': ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} uses [[GeneralRipper Steel Wing]] in order to gather intelligence on Rainbow Dash/Supermare, but when he decides that Steel Wing's too impulsive, he tips Princess Luna off to his actions and lets him get arrested (and also wipes all memory he has of Brainiac).\n** The ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' plays this interestingly in the [[BadFuture Dark World]], as Rancor[[spoiler:/Disruption]] pulls this on her ''[[WeaponOfChoice weapon]]'', the [[BladeOnAStick Concept Killing Spear]], destroying it as soon as it's fulfilled its purpose of [[spoiler:allowing her to steal Destruction's power from Discord]]. And this is {{justified|trope}}, since she's aware that the Spear could be [[HoistByHisOwnPetard used against her]], so disposes of it as soon as she doesn't need it anymore. It was also later explained that the gods had been ''wanting'' to destroy the dang thing for thousands of years.\n** ''Fanfic/ThePowersOfHarmony'': Awareness of this trope and the fact that [[BigBad Cetus]] will probably enact it the moment she stops being useful is why [[TheDragon Eclipse]] begins to [[TheStarscream plot against her]].\n** ''Fanfic/TheLongingverse'': [[spoiler: As soon as Bloodwing becomes an Alicorn, he steals the energy of his minion, Black. He got better... [[DrivenToMadness In a manner of speaking...]] ]]\n** ''Fanfic/TheStarsAscendant'' has Luna call out Discord for being an idiot; his betrayal of Equestria was inevitable, but it was stupid of him to betray Equestria to someone who was going to pull this trope on him the moment he didn't need Discord's help anymore.\n** ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'': \n*** [[spoiler:[[EvilAllAlong Prince Jewelius]] convinces Queen Chrysalis to join forces with him in order to take over Equestria on Princess Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding day. However, when he decides he has more to win by painting himself and Twilight Sparkle as the heroes who stopped the invaders, he betrays the Changelings by helping Twilight defeat and imprison them while [[ManipulativeBastard turning everypony against the other heroes]], [[TheUsurper becoming Equestria's king]]. He announces one week later that the Changelings will be harnessed as slaves, but Chrysalis (whom he [[DidYouActuallyBelieve mocks for believing]] that there was an UnholyMatrimony going on between them) will have to be "put down" for being far too dangerous.]]\n*** When [[spoiler:Jewelius]] tells the [[CorruptTheCutie corrupted]] Twilight's imprisoned loved ones that he'll marry her and [[DarwinistDesire father through her a powerful line of heirs]], he offhandedly mentions that if he happens to discover an even more powerful unicorn mare, he'll likely [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident stage an accident]] for Twilight. When he reveals his true colors to her, he gloats that excluding her, nearly all his pawns have outlived their usefulness to him.\n* The villains of ''Fanfic/PropheciesOfTheMorphingGrid'' dish these out as a matter of course. One particular instance is in the third story, where at what is otherwise a perfectly normal villain meeting, TheDragon, Dark Venom, [[TyrantTakesTheHelm who had been elected]] [[PresidentEvil President of the United States]] and has more than a little of TheAntichrist about him, suddenly and utterly nonchalantly executes two of the United Alliance of Evil's [[LesCollaborateurs human collaborators]], [[RightWingMilitiaFanatic paramilitary leader]] Colonel Wyman and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive robber-baron]] Sal Muldoon. Even the other villains are shocked at Venom's brutality, but he just shrugs and explains that he's already nationalized the two men's respective organizations, rendering them loose ends.\n* Parodied and subverted in ''Fanfic/TealovesSteamyAdventure''. The Duchess tells Colt Skylark that he has failed her, and that the time has come to ''terminate'' him. Skylark, clearly familiar with this trope, checks to make sure he isn't standing on a trap door and looks around to see who's pointing a weapon at him. Instead, the Duchess hands him a stack of papers and explains that [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome it's his notice of termination of employment]], and now he just needs to sign the non-disclosure clause, the non-compete clause, etc etc.\n* Said almost verbatim by [[spoiler: Evil!Alice]] to Arawn in the second sequel to ''Fanfic/DisneysWarACrossoverStory'', titled ''The Final Adventure'', after Arawn has let the heroes sneak into her bedroom to try to assassinate her.\n--> [[spoiler: Evil!Alice]]: "While you’ve been ever so helpful to me, Arawn, so loyal, I’m afraid your usefulness has ended."\n* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', the [[VillainTeamUp alliance]] between Lucius Malfoy and Baron Von Strucker comes to a sudden end when [[spoiler: Malfoy decides [[GeneralFailure Strucker]] is a liability and kills him (after drugging him and stealing the secrets of controlling the Winter Soldier), seizing control of HYDRA in the process.]]\n* ''FanFic/ABrighterDark'': A rare ([[GreyAndGrayMorality somewhat]]) heroic example. Unlike the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemFates original story]], Garon gives his permission to Corrin to kill Hans in revenge for [[spoiler: stabbing her friend, Lilith, in the back with his ax,]] stating that he no longer has need for him anymore.\n* Creator/{{letmetellyouaboutmyfeels}}' ''Fanfic/MCURewrites'': In ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/11652651 Avengers: Civil War]]'', [[spoiler:Zemo kills the woman he had impersonate Wanda Maximoff to leave her body for the Avengers to find as part of his TakingYouWithMe gambit.]]\n* ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'': \n** [[spoiler:Danzo Shimura]], of all people, is on the receiving end of this. For several arcs, he'd been leaking out to Akatsuki intel on the jinchuriki's whereabouts, [[TheMillstone undermining Konoha's efforts to retrieve them]]. Come Chapter 90, it's revealed that [[spoiler:Obito Uchiha used Kotoamatsukami]] to implant the idea in [[spoiler:Danzo's head]], playing up on [[AmbitionIsEvil his personal ambitions]] to do the rest. [[spoiler:However, just in case, he had implanted a mental trigger to activate full mind control on Danzo, and once he fulfilled his purpose (of retrieving one of Pain's Rinnegan eyes), Obito ordered him to commit suicide via Reverse Tetragram Sealing.]]\n** Much like his canon counterpart, Orochimaru doesn't think twice about disposing of minions once they're no longer useful to him or if they become a liablity. [[spoiler:This comes back to bite him ''hard'' when [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal Hebiko ends up defecting over anger at him abandoning her brother]], and her leaking intel about his whereabouts to the Allied Shinobi Forces directly leads to his death at the hands of Jiraiya and Tsunade.]]\n* In ''Fanfic/ViridianTheGreenGuide'', after multiple failures, [[spoiler:culminating in the destruction of her entire hive, All For One decides that Queen Bee is no longer useful to him, and orders her killed]].----
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'''Warning: Often serves as a DeathTrope, and frequently involves spoilers.'''

Times where villains aim to [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness eliminate some no-longer necessary minions or other loose ends]] in FanWorks.
----
[[AC:{{Crossover}}s]]
* ''Fanfic/GuardiansWizardsAndKungFuFighters'': Post-VillainousBreakdown, Phobos starts plotting to eliminate all his minions once he succeeds in stealing the Heart of Meridian from Elyon. [[spoiler: His first act after doing so is to transform the Whisperers into new {{Mooks}} and ordering them to kill the Guards.]] Literally the ''only'' exception to this is [[MookLieutenant Roberta]], since he can tell that her [[AmbitionIsEvil ambitions]] and IFightForTheStrongestSide mentality mean that she'll stay loyal to him as the most powerful person around.
* ''Fanfic/TheNightUnfurls'':
** At the climax of the Feoh/Ur Arc, [[TheMole the moles]] [[EvilChancellor Beasley]] and the Mortadella brothers are thrown under the bus immediately by the Black Dogs after Kyril successfully infiltrates the Arcturus estate.
** [[InvertedTrope On the flip side]], the good guys occasionally off captured {{mooks}} or thugs, who are obviously not associated with the heroes, after interrogating them for information to be used against the Black Dogs. For a couple examples, there's Hugh [[NeckSnap snapping a thug's neck]] after obtaining the whereabouts of the Gadsden Gang; Kyril [[LeftForDead leaving a man to bleed out]] [[spoiler:after [[TouchTelepathy ripping the info needed out of his head]]]]; etc.

[[AC:''Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon'']]
* ''Fanfic/TheLionKingAdventures'': Scar, having gone completely AxCrazy following [[spoiler:the conquest of the Pride Lands]], slaughters his hyena minions, figuring he doesn't need them anymore. This is what convinces his partner Hago to [[spoiler:[[BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork kill him in preemptive self-defense]]]].

[[AC:''Franchise/FinalFantasy'']]
* ''Fanfic/{{Epiphany}}'': Once [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth]] and Leslie decide [[spoiler:Corneo]] is of no further use, they feed him to his own monster.

[[AC:''Franchise/HarryPotter'']]
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13279982/4/Harry-Potter-and-the-Burning-of-Bridges Expelled-iarmus]]'', Snape manages to convince Lucius Malfoy, who in turn convinces Cornelius Fudge, to not only get [[Literature/HarryPotter Harry and Ron]] expelled for flying the Ford Anglia to Hogwarts and breaking the [[TheMasquerade Statute of Secrecy]], but to get them arrested. When Dumbledore finds out, [[RageBreakingPoint he is furious]] and decides that Harry's presence at Hogwarts is more important than Snape's and changes the latter's memories to think that he had framed the two boys and then sics the aurors on him so that ''he'll'' be imprisoned instead of Harry and Ron.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11922615/1/Harry-Potter-and-the-Last-Chance Harry Potter and the Last Chance]]'', Harry invokes this trope as a threat to Rita Skeeter. At the Weighing of the Wands, he used his [[PeggySue future knowledge]] to blackmail her into behaving in exchange for a few choice exclusives. But in February, she took revenge by crashing his first date for an interview. He tolerated it until their food arrived, but warned her afterward:
-->'''Harry''': Next time you try to hijack one of our dates, I shall become acutely disinterested in our little arrangement. As you pointed out: you are not the only reporter out there, so you'd better give me a reason to keep you around.

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures'']]
* ''Fanfic/AgesOfShadow'':
** After [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Brenner]] loses his duel to [[TheHero Trace]], [[FallenHero Jade]]/[[AGodAmI Yade Khan]] doesn't hesitate to step in and rip out his [[OurSoulsAreDifferent Sun Soul]], leaving Brenner comatose. While there is certainly a bit of YouHaveFailedMe at work, it's mostly this trope -- Brenner was needed to reconnect Jade with her [[ReligionOfEvil Shadow Walkers]], and to create both the Yade Khan game as a means of collecting soul energy and the technology to track down the other Sun Souls. With all that done, the presence of both the Walkers and Jade's [[DealWithTheDevil pact]] with Alonso to act on the resources and information provided by Brenner leaves Brenner himself redundant and no longer needed.
** Just before the FinalBattle, Jade disbands the Shadow Walkers, since she no longer needs servants on Earth if she's going to be free to roam it. To her credit, however, she gives them all a chance to try and waylay Trace and his friends, though really this just means reducing them to {{cannon fodder}}.

[[AC:''Manga/LoveHina'']]
* In ''Fanfic/AnAlternateKeitaroUrashima'', Ryuichi runs headlong into this after failing to sabotage Keitaro and Miyabi's relationship. Word gets back to his boss and he loses his job, but he clings to the hope Granny Hina will help him out. When he finally gets a chance to tell her what's happened, however, she completely blows him off, letting him know she doesn't give a damn what happens to him now that he's no longer useful to her.

[[AC:''Franchise/MarvelUniverse'']]
* In ''Fanfic/APrizeForThreeEmpires'', ComicBook/CarolDanvers warns Iva Kann sooner or later her superiors will find a better soldier and get rid of her.
-->'''Warbird:''' The Kree are very functionalistic. You're only good to them until they can get somebody better. Once they do, or they think they do, they'll see you as nothing but meat for the grinder. And somebody else will be using you as a hamburger.

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug'']]
* ''[[Fanfic/BurnTheWitchMiraculousLadybug BURN THE WITCH!]]'': Despite Lila's belief that she's irreplaceable, Hawkmoth decides that he has no further use for her after [[LiarRevealed her true nature]] is exposed to all of Paris by Witch Hunter. After all, what good is a BitchInSheepsClothing whom everybody ''knows'' can't be trusted?

[[AC:''Franchise/{{Naruto}}'']]
* ''[[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4353865/1/Kage-no-Naruto Kage no Naruto]]'' takes this to an almost [[StupidEvil idiotic]] extreme. Naruto kills of several of his minions because they're no longer necessary. They're still very useful; just not necessary. Of course, given how his modus operandi seems to be ForTheEvulz, this is hardly surprising.

[[AC:''Franchise/NeonGenesisEvangelion'']]
* ''Fanfic/AdviceAndTrust'': [[BattleCouple Shinji and Asuka]] -- [[TrueCompanions together with Rei]] -- had won victory after victory against [[EldritchAbomination giant alien monsters]]. Still, when they disobeyed a direct order Commander Gendo fired them ''even though they had defeated the enemy'', stating that he had no need of pilots that disobeyed his orders now that he had the dummy plug system to control the [[HumongousMecha Evas]].
* ''Fanfic/ACrownOfStars'': [[BigBad Jinnai]] declared that [[BrokenAce Asuka]] [[BattleCouple and]] [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds Shinji]] would be useless to him after the dummy plug system was ready and he would sell her into slavery.
* ''Fanfic/TheChildOfLove'': Gendo planned [[spoiler:to get Asuka killed after getting her to carry his scheme forward]] because he would have not use for her afterwards. In chapter 5:
-->'''Gendo:''' Each Child has one use and only one. The Second will soon be useless when everything is finished.\\
'''Fuyutsuki:''' You mean... she'll be killed.\\
'''Gendo:''' You know she's the only one capable of giving birth. And that's one of the reasons she has been designated as the Second Child. Her death is only a detail. I'm sure she'll be proud of her role in humankind's evolution.

[[AC:''Franchise/SherlockHolmes'']]
* The ''Fanfic/DeliverUsFromEvilSeries'' has this in ''Mortality''. Culverton Smith [[ColdBloodedTorture tortures Holmes with an inch of his life]] and gloats over the guy while he's dying. This, in turn, [[BigBrotherInstinct trips off Watson's protective instincts]] and ''[[BewareTheNiceOnes really pisses him off]]''. It doesn't help Smith that Watson most likely ''[[DeadlyDoctor kills Smith with his medical skills.]]''

[[AC:''Franchise/{{Supergirl}}'']]
* In ''Fanfic/HellsisterTrilogy'', [[EvilTwin Satan Girl]] is worried about the possibility of [[ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes Mordru]] obliterating her once her work is done. Hoping to avoid this scenario, she seduces him.
-->She might have to watch out for him, as well. If she were viewed as a tool, he might intend to simply use her and destroy her once the job was finished. How could she guard against that?

[[AC:''WesternAnimation/{{Trollhunters}}'']]
* When the Changeling protagonist of ''[[Fanfic/BecomingTheMaskTrollhunters Becoming the Mask]]'' finds out Gunmar's plan to bring [[TheNightThatNeverEnds Eternal Night]] wasn't just a metaphor for trolls taking over the surface, he anticipates this because Changelings' immunity to sunlight is the main reason [[BigBad Gunmar]] keeps them around. This is one of the motivations for his HeelFaceTurn.


----


* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'':
** ''[[Fanfic/JusticeLeagueOfEquestria Mare of Steel]]'': ComicBook/{{Brainiac}} uses [[GeneralRipper Steel Wing]] in order to gather intelligence on Rainbow Dash/Supermare, but when he decides that Steel Wing's too impulsive, he tips Princess Luna off to his actions and lets him get arrested (and also wipes all memory he has of Brainiac).
** The ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'' plays this interestingly in the [[BadFuture Dark World]], as Rancor[[spoiler:/Disruption]] pulls this on her ''[[WeaponOfChoice weapon]]'', the [[BladeOnAStick Concept Killing Spear]], destroying it as soon as it's fulfilled its purpose of [[spoiler:allowing her to steal Destruction's power from Discord]]. And this is {{justified|trope}}, since she's aware that the Spear could be [[HoistByHisOwnPetard used against her]], so disposes of it as soon as she doesn't need it anymore. It was also later explained that the gods had been ''wanting'' to destroy the dang thing for thousands of years.
** ''Fanfic/ThePowersOfHarmony'': Awareness of this trope and the fact that [[BigBad Cetus]] will probably enact it the moment she stops being useful is why [[TheDragon Eclipse]] begins to [[TheStarscream plot against her]].
** ''Fanfic/TheLongingverse'': [[spoiler: As soon as Bloodwing becomes an Alicorn, he steals the energy of his minion, Black. He got better... [[DrivenToMadness In a manner of speaking...]] ]]
** ''Fanfic/TheStarsAscendant'' has Luna call out Discord for being an idiot; his betrayal of Equestria was inevitable, but it was stupid of him to betray Equestria to someone who was going to pull this trope on him the moment he didn't need Discord's help anymore.
** ''Fanfic/LovedAndLost'':
*** [[spoiler:[[EvilAllAlong Prince Jewelius]] convinces Queen Chrysalis to join forces with him in order to take over Equestria on Princess Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding day. However, when he decides he has more to win by painting himself and Twilight Sparkle as the heroes who stopped the invaders, he betrays the Changelings by helping Twilight defeat and imprison them while [[ManipulativeBastard turning everypony against the other heroes]], [[TheUsurper becoming Equestria's king]]. He announces one week later that the Changelings will be harnessed as slaves, but Chrysalis (whom he [[DidYouActuallyBelieve mocks for believing]] that there was an UnholyMatrimony going on between them) will have to be "put down" for being far too dangerous.]]
*** When [[spoiler:Jewelius]] tells the [[CorruptTheCutie corrupted]] Twilight's imprisoned loved ones that he'll marry her and [[DarwinistDesire father through her a powerful line of heirs]], he offhandedly mentions that if he happens to discover an even more powerful unicorn mare, he'll likely [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident stage an accident]] for Twilight. When he reveals his true colors to her, he gloats that excluding her, nearly all his pawns have outlived their usefulness to him.
* The villains of ''Fanfic/PropheciesOfTheMorphingGrid'' dish these out as a matter of course. One particular instance is in the third story, where at what is otherwise a perfectly normal villain meeting, TheDragon, Dark Venom, [[TyrantTakesTheHelm who had been elected]] [[PresidentEvil President of the United States]] and has more than a little of TheAntichrist about him, suddenly and utterly nonchalantly executes two of the United Alliance of Evil's [[LesCollaborateurs human collaborators]], [[RightWingMilitiaFanatic paramilitary leader]] Colonel Wyman and [[CorruptCorporateExecutive robber-baron]] Sal Muldoon. Even the other villains are shocked at Venom's brutality, but he just shrugs and explains that he's already nationalized the two men's respective organizations, rendering them loose ends.
* Parodied and subverted in ''Fanfic/TealovesSteamyAdventure''. The Duchess tells Colt Skylark that he has failed her, and that the time has come to ''terminate'' him. Skylark, clearly familiar with this trope, checks to make sure he isn't standing on a trap door and looks around to see who's pointing a weapon at him. Instead, the Duchess hands him a stack of papers and explains that [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome it's his notice of termination of employment]], and now he just needs to sign the non-disclosure clause, the non-compete clause, etc etc.
* Said almost verbatim by [[spoiler: Evil!Alice]] to Arawn in the second sequel to ''Fanfic/DisneysWarACrossoverStory'', titled ''The Final Adventure'', after Arawn has let the heroes sneak into her bedroom to try to assassinate her.
--> [[spoiler: Evil!Alice]]: "While you’ve been ever so helpful to me, Arawn, so loyal, I’m afraid your usefulness has ended."
* In ''Fanfic/ChildOfTheStorm'', the [[VillainTeamUp alliance]] between Lucius Malfoy and Baron Von Strucker comes to a sudden end when [[spoiler: Malfoy decides [[GeneralFailure Strucker]] is a liability and kills him (after drugging him and stealing the secrets of controlling the Winter Soldier), seizing control of HYDRA in the process.]]
* ''FanFic/ABrighterDark'': A rare ([[GreyAndGrayMorality somewhat]]) heroic example. Unlike the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemFates original story]], Garon gives his permission to Corrin to kill Hans in revenge for [[spoiler: stabbing her friend, Lilith, in the back with his ax,]] stating that he no longer has need for him anymore.
* Creator/{{letmetellyouaboutmyfeels}}' ''Fanfic/MCURewrites'': In ''[[http://archiveofourown.org/works/11652651 Avengers: Civil War]]'', [[spoiler:Zemo kills the woman he had impersonate Wanda Maximoff to leave her body for the Avengers to find as part of his TakingYouWithMe gambit.]]
* ''Fanfic/SonOfTheSannin'':
** [[spoiler:Danzo Shimura]], of all people, is on the receiving end of this. For several arcs, he'd been leaking out to Akatsuki intel on the jinchuriki's whereabouts, [[TheMillstone undermining Konoha's efforts to retrieve them]]. Come Chapter 90, it's revealed that [[spoiler:Obito Uchiha used Kotoamatsukami]] to implant the idea in [[spoiler:Danzo's head]], playing up on [[AmbitionIsEvil his personal ambitions]] to do the rest. [[spoiler:However, just in case, he had implanted a mental trigger to activate full mind control on Danzo, and once he fulfilled his purpose (of retrieving one of Pain's Rinnegan eyes), Obito ordered him to commit suicide via Reverse Tetragram Sealing.]]
** Much like his canon counterpart, Orochimaru doesn't think twice about disposing of minions once they're no longer useful to him or if they become a liablity. [[spoiler:This comes back to bite him ''hard'' when [[MistreatmentInducedBetrayal Hebiko ends up defecting over anger at him abandoning her brother]], and her leaking intel about his whereabouts to the Allied Shinobi Forces directly leads to his death at the hands of Jiraiya and Tsunade.]]
* In ''Fanfic/ViridianTheGreenGuide'', after multiple failures, [[spoiler:culminating in the destruction of her entire hive, All For One decides that Queen Bee is no longer useful to him, and orders her killed]].

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