How flexible is Kill'em All?

The description of Kill Em All wants that all main characters end up dead but I repeatedly see the trope applied for when one, two or three members are still alive (let's say out of a group of 15) or when a distinct subset of characters (e.g. a tribe) is wiped out. See Film.Mad Max Fury Road for two questionable examples (spoilers).

How flexible is this trope? Is any survivor amongst the main cast already averting the trope?

Edited by eroock on Feb 6th 2019 at 6:10:03 PM

It isn't. There are tropes for when there are very few survivors or just a single one, like Everybody's Dead, Dave, Sole Survivor, and Final Girl (which is a subtrope of the previous one).

If the one or very few surviving characters are minor characters, it might still count as Kill Em All, since that's primarily about the main characters dying. All main characters.

Kill Em All is when no character has Plot Armor. Main characters can and are killed off equally to supporting characters. Survivors are possible, main or supporting, but it's about feeling like most of the cast was just wiped out by the end. Everybody's Dead, Dave focuses more on the supporting cast dying off to service some angst from the main characters, typically happening in a dramatic climax.

The Mad Max examples just aren't accurate, it's referencing two different organizations, most of those who die are not given names.

Isn't that Anyone Can Die?

It's "anyone can die" versus "everyone does die." Some works like to use a Sacrificial Lamb to make it seem like no one is off limits, but there is still a relatively small body count.

Then there's Characters Dropping Like Flies...

I also feel you are explaining Anyone Can Die as Kill Em All. Then again, the 2nd paragraph of Kill Em All opens with "the extremely high body count among the main cast" which opens up the possibility of survivors among the main cast. That part is not really helpful to contrast against Anyone Can Die.

>>Kill Em All is about feeling like most of the cast was just wiped out by the end.

Is this something that can be judged objectively?

There seems to be a sliding scale at work here:

• Characters Dropping Like Flies: Lots of named characters die
• Anyone Can Die: Lots of of main characters die
• Kill Em All: All or almost all (?) of the main cast dies

Edited by eroock on Feb 7th 2019 at 1:04:16 PM

I understand the confusion, but these are all closely related tropes anyway and so it's the small differences that matters.

• Anyone Can Die: Plot Armor is not a guarantee. Actual body count may vary.
• Kill Em All: Anyone Can Die and most of them do.
• Characters Dropping Like Flies: In sequence one character dies after another, either spread evenly throughout the course of the story or all in one dangerous event.
• Everybody's Dead, Dave: A number of characters are killed and a main character discovers or is informed of this.

Edited by KJMackley on Feb 7th 2019 at 3:17:00 AM