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Ambiguous Name: Death By Sex

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To-do list:

  • The trope is a foreshadowing trope that is supposed to be about stories where characters who have sex are more likely to be killed off. Move valid examples to Sex Signals Death (the new name) and remove examples that don't fit. Examples that refer to characters dying during sex should be moved to Out with a Bang.

    Original post 
Note: This thread was propsed by The Mayor of Simpleton.

The problem: Death By Sex is supposed to be about stories where characters who have sex are more likely to be killed off. However, it is frequently being misused for when characters die during or after sex, which is covered by Out with a Bang. The name is likely to blame here, as it is vague and does not mention the “pattern” aspect of the trope. mightymewtron started a wick check a while back that they, Vandagyre, War Jay 77, and I did, of which I was given permission to use in the Wick Check thread.

Wick check: Link here, but here’s the quick results:

  • 11/50 examples were correctly used, or 22%
  • 20/50 examples were just characters dying during sex, or 40%
  • 7/50 examples were of other misuse, or 14%, and
  • 12/50 examples were of no or little context, or 24%

Totaled together, that's

  • 11/50 correct, or 22%
  • 39/50 incorrect, or 78%.

Wick analysis: It appears that many examples of Death By Sex were of characters dying during or after sex, as mentioned in the opening paragraph. There were also a bunch of Zero-Context Examples, although for such an old trope that isn’t unexpected.

What should be done?: I recommend a rename for this trope. Perhaps we could call it Sex Equals Death (already a redirect), although that title may be too vague as well. I don’t really know what else to suggest.

What does everyone else think? Any other ideas or suggestions?

Wick Check

Wicks checked: 50/50

    open/close all folders 

    Correct usage (11/50) 
  1. December–December Romance: In Ōoku: The Inner Chambers, Tsunayoshi and Emonnosuke knew each other for years, and it's implied from the start that they were smitten with each other, but what with Emonnosuke being too old to be a concubine, and later Tsunayoshi's need to conceive a new heir after the death of her daughter, they were unable to confess their love to each other until their older years, certainly after Tsunayoshi hit menopause. The day after they have sex for the first time, Emonnosuke dies from an aneurysm. Wick is spoiler-tagged.
  2. Characters.Avengers Arena: He and Hazmat had sex right before being transported to Murderworld.
  3. Characters.Mesopotamian Mythology: Her lovers all met ironic ends, which is the main reason why Gilgamesh didn't want to sleep with her. I guess?
  4. Characters.The Musketeers: Invokes this on himself in the second season premiere after he's shown Adele's grave. It borders on Death By Sex, because three out of the four women he's been in a relationship with (regardless of his feelings for them) have ended up dead. Maybe?
  5. Film.The Burning: Sally and Glazer are killed shortly after they had sex. Karen and Eddy avert this trope when Karen refuses to have sex with Eddy, but both end up killed anyway.
  6. Recap.Angelo MMBC: All Gays are Promiscuous: This is one of the most NSFW MMB Cs to date... and coincidentally one of the only ones with an entirely MLM premise. Angelo has sex with a contestant on two separate occasions, which coincidentally leads to their deaths right after, and the murderer gives replacement cohost Bug a blowjob at one point.
  7. VisualNovel.Ever 17: Takeshi dies shortly after having sex with Tsugumi. Sort of.
  8. Film.Dont Open Till Christmas: The couple engaging in some Auto Erotica, and Sherry and her peep show patron. Oddly averted with Sharon the porn star, though. Seems to be a pattern, thus correct.
  9. Fridge.Boy Meets World: In "And Then There Was Shawn," the Death By Sex trope is invoked when Shawn states that virgins never die, then Jack & Eric (who both accept they're going to die) are both killed. Angela doesn't comment either way in that scene, so why does she die? What skin color is she, again? Invoked correct use.
  10. TabletopGame.Pathfinder: Distressingly common:
    • Harpies, being a One-Gender Race comprised solely of women, need to mate with humanoid males to propagate their race (as well as just for fun). However, they usually eat their lovers once they're done with them — indeed, it's noted that it's actually considered bad luck in standard harpy culture to not eat the father of their daughter, unless he is powerful enough that it is worthwhile not to consume him once the harpy has been fertilized.
    • Lamias (or at least the regular, matriarch and harridan versions) are much the same, except the way it's worded implies that partners dying from exhaustion, murderous flares of temper, drug overdose or sadism taken too far is actually more common than the lamia eating her lover.
    • Hags, again, need humanoid males to reproduce. They don't always kill their partner, though. It depends on how they feel. Especially if they think it'd be more "fun" to leave the resultant neonate hag-daughter in her daddy's care, they may well spare their unwitting mate.
    • Jorogumos are spider-women who, again, need humanoid mates to father their offspring. They then act like wasps, in that they implant the fertilized egg(s) into the father and paralyse him with their venom; when the egg hatches, the daughter fatally eats her father for nourishment.
    • Thriae, again, are a Cute Monster Girl race prone to eating their mates. But they're actually treated oddly sympathetically. First, only the Queens treat their consorts this way. The others form more emotional attachments. They also only do so when a lover has grown too old and feeble to reliably fertilize the Queen anymore, and they always use an anaesthetizing venom to render their former lover unconscious and devoid of pain before they begin. Finally, the consorts of Thriae queens are almost always volunteers.
    • Ogres are a male example of this; it's been stated that they tend to rape humanoids (especially women) to death. Ogres, we'll remind you, are 10ft tall, 500 or so pound, horrifically strong, dim-witted sadists. You can put the pieces together as to what the general cause of death is.
    • The players can actually cause this in a monster; a member of the siren race is noted in the Bestiary 2 for her tendency to commit suicide, or literally die of heartbreak, if a male she has her heart set on escapes from her whilst she's courting him. Judging by the many sub-bullets, seems to be a correct use, referring to a pattern.
  11. TabletopGame.Legends Of The Wulin: Sex in certain configurations (homosexual male interaction without the right ability, sex between a stronger female and weaker male, or sex between a weaker female and a male who is too strong) is dangerous to the health of one or both partners. Seems to be a pattern, judging by the way it's described.

    Characters die during sex (20/50) 
  1. Characters.Platinum End: He is killed by Metropoli Man in the middle of having a reverse gangbang.
  2. Film.Dark Ride: Jen and Jim, while Jen is 'servicing' Jim in the basement of the ride, her head gets cut off as Jim climaxes.
  3. Film.Dont Blink: Both couples who engage in kissing or sex lose a member, as both are alone with each other, and one member of each accidentally closes their eyes or looks away.
  4. Podcast.Fantasy Fiction: So common in Daranos that “sex murder” is an official crime. ZCE, but implies it's Out with a Bang.
  5. WesternAnimation.Urbance: Shown quite explicitly in the pilot, as it's the premise of the series. Two young people who think they've found a prophylatic against the "E1 virus" die during sex.
  6. YMMV.Basilisk: Tenzen Yakushiji, the Number Two of the Iga Clan and the true Big Bad, absolutely leaps heads and shoulders over any of his fellow ninja for sadism, cruelty, greed and monstrosity. Secretly a centuries old former Koga himself, Tenzen has nothing but loathing for the Koga and little use for his own Clan. When Princess Oboro seals away her mystic eyes, Tenzen attempts to rape her before being stopped by a Koga attack. Engaging the Koga ninja, Gyobu Kasumi, Tenzen hears how Gyobu's father was murdered by Iga and in their duel, tricks Gyobu into striking at a child, forcing the boy's father to take a fatal blow, solely so the child's pain rattles Gyobu enough for Tenzen to win. Tenzen sadistically toys with other ninja and abandons his loyal student Koshiro because Koshiro had objected to his actions with Oboro. When Tenzen captures the beautiful Koga shinobi, Kagero, because her powers make raping her impossible, he brutally tortures her by impaling her with needles, before attempting to rape Oboro with intent of forcing her to dispel Kagero's powers to force himself on her as well. When he faces off with the young Koga leader Gennosuke, Tenzen reveals his intent to destroy all in his path, end the war victoriously and force Oboro to be his bride while he rules Japan from the shadows through the young shogun. I... what? I can only imagine that her powers make people die during sex.
  7. DarthWiki.Intercourse With You: "Another Way You Can Die During Sex"?
  8. Monster.Superman: * Preus, introduced in the "Godfall" arc, is a Kryptonian CPC officer. First encountering Superman in the bottle city of Kandor, Preus pursued him to Metropolis, where the manifestation of his Kryptonian abilities convinced Preus that he had become a deity with a duty to "cleanse the impure." Furious at Superman—whom he had once worshiped as a god—for having let the citizens of Metropolis live, Preus tried to level the city before being stopped by Superman and Kandorian Empireth Lyla. Recruiting a cult of white supremacists, Preus set himself up as a god-figure, forcing the women in the cult to sleep with him-an experience many did not survive—and readying them for a race war with the rest of the USA. When Martian Manhunter tried to stop him, Preus crucified him and tortured him with fire. When Superman arrived, Preus ordered his cult to launch a Suicide Attack on the Man of Steel, aiming to force Superman to massacre the humans he was so dedicated to protecting. Hating everything that did not conform to his ideas of racial purity, Preus was representative of the very worst Kandor had to offer.
  9. Roleplay.Henshin Heroes: One thread starts with Kenneth waking up in bed with two dead people.
  10. Film.Aquaslash: As an homage to 80s slashers, a couple is killed in the opening mid-coitus. subverted, in that the couple who survive bang like rabbits.
  11. Manga.Chirality: Adam kills a girl during a sexual intercourse.
  12. Series.Nip Tuck: In Season 5, Gina is literally fucked to death by Christian.
  13. Manga.Hinowa Ga Crush: Moegi tends to do this to particularly strong defeated opponents, having sex with them until they die outright or collapse from exhaustion (at which point she has them killed).
  14. VideoGame.Star Flight: The Veloxi Queen kills the males who fertilize her. Arth Veloxi have abandoned this practice.
  15. Series.The Steve Harvey Show: Regina's husband Jordan dies this way on their honeymoon. She returns home and recounts the tragedy to Cedric, Lovita, and Steve. Low context, but the context I do have points to this usage.
    Steve (to Cedric): I always knew it would be killer, but Damn!
  16. Film.Studio 666: Happens to Rami and Samantha, courtesy of Dave. No mention of a pattern.
  17. Recap.Stranger Things S 1 E 2 Chapter Two The Weirdo On Maple Street: Inverted. Barb dies because she's all on her own when everyone else is distracted getting laid. Nancy even seems to pick up on this, since after her encounter with the Demogorgon she lets Jonathan stay in her room for the night (with the lights on and a loaded gun within arm's reach) even though they don't have sex. Incorrect inverted use, just one character.
  18. Series.Cucumber: Daniel only kills Lance after he attempts to reciprocate oral sex on him. Not a pattern.
  19. VideoGame.Star Flight: The Veloxi Queen kills the males who fertilize her. Arth Veloxi have abandoned this practice. Not a pattern.
  20. WMG.Sonic The Hedgehog Characters: Charmy Bee is supposed to be a male bee. However male bees are lethargic and don't have offensive stingers, while Charmy is hyper and has a stinger like a worker bee. The Hive Queen of his people saw him as a freak against nature, and booted him out. Vector decided to look after him, but since male bees die after mating Charmy can't comprehend the idea of a father figure, so he just annoys Vector out of confusion. No mention of a pattern.

    Other misuse (7/50) 
  1. Characters.Evil Dead Other Characters: Amber and Tyler are about to have sex in the Delta (ironically, Amber stopping from having sex caused her to notice the book), only for Amber to read from the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis leading to her Demonic Possession and the below mentioned Groin Attack. She later tries to do the same to Brock only to be killed by Ash with his chainsaw. Death before sex
  2. Recap.Strong Bad Email E 199 Being Mean: Just as Head Male Cheerleader propositions Marzipan's character to "park out" with him, Strong Mad's nerd character comes in and tries to beat him with a baseball bat fulla nails. Death before sex.
  3. FanonPokedex.Spinarak: Mating time is a ritual fraught with danger for the male. If at any point the female decides that he is unsatisfactory, she will attack him. Even if all goes well, the male will most likely be attacked as soon as the female is done with him. Consequently, few male Ariados survive mating (In captivity, Ariados can be trained out of this behavior, although it takes dedication).
  4. WebVideo.Wolfkaosaun: In the Kirby 64 review, Wolfkaosaun claims that since Whispy Woods has children, he deserves to die because he had sex (and produced children).
  5. Characters.Wrong Turn: He was busy spending time with Elena instead of monitoring the cameras, so he skipped everything that happened previously, including his girlfriend's death.
  6. Older Than Dirt: discussed in The Epic of Gilgamesh, where Inanna is known for killing her lovers. Also, when Enkidu is dying from a sickness sent by the gods, he blames Shamhat's seduction for (indirectly) killing him. Not sure about this one.
  7. Literature.The Reluctant King: Invoked in the third book, where Jorian tries to get Vanora off him by claiming that he was cursed so that any woman who has sex with him dies horribly. He's bluffing, there's no such spell. Incorrect invoked use—the character does not claim that sex in general causes death, just sex with him specifically.

    Not enough context (12/50) 
  1. Film.Casino Royale 2006: Vesper Lynd (drowned) and Solange Dimitrios (strangled).
  2. Film.Carver: A pair of snuff film victims.
  3. Futurama.Tropes A To D: Or, as it's referred to on the show, "snu-snu." Example lacks sufficient context, but I know the work; this is actually Out with a Bang.
  4. Manga.Green Blood: JJ. A very Rare Male Example.
  5. ComicBook.X Wing Rogue Squadron: Ibtisam dies in the same issue that she and Nrin finally officially become a couple. Feylis and Avan, on the other hand, make a no-dying pact, and they both live.
  6. Literature.And The Band Played On: Trope-name only
  7. LightNovel.Ai No Kusabi: Iason was forbidden to actually sleep with Riki. There was no way it would end well.
  8. Music.Buck Tick: Implied in Jonathan Jet-Coaster, though it could also be referring to "little death".
  9. VideoGame.Cubivore: Pretty much.
    "I MATED WITH TWENTY FEMALES. THEY ALL BORE CHILDREN."
  10. Literature.Aliss: If you're frequenting the Red Queen's brothel, don't even think about harming a prostitute who isn't interested in BDSM. That's grounds for immediate Pay Evil unto Evil, up to possible Death By Sex (implied at the big party).
  11. Series.Detroit 187: Det. John Stone.
  12. Characters.Les Innommables: Sybil with a Fat Bastard.

Edited by MacronNotes on Apr 15th 2023 at 1:06:39 PM

SharkToast Since: Mar, 2013
#26: Oct 14th 2022 at 4:18:38 PM

[up][up] & [up] I think both ideas are better. They're a bit clunky, but they better get across what the trope.

GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
BlackMage43 Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: Armed with the Power of Love
GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#29: Oct 16th 2022 at 7:13:34 AM

[up]That sounds pretty good, too. Sex Indicates Death might work, or maybe Sex Is A Sign Of Death, but I think your suggestions are better. Mainly, we're avoiding names that sound too much like Out with a Bang (like the current name).

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
badtothebaritone (Life not ruined yet) Relationship Status: Snooping as usual
#30: Oct 16th 2022 at 7:24:16 AM

[up] Sex Signals Death, if you want a less clunky version of that second one.

GastonRabbit Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#31: Oct 16th 2022 at 8:37:50 AM

[up]I think that's an improvement.

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
underCoverSailsman Peeks from Under Rocks from State of Flux Since: Jan, 2021 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Peeks from Under Rocks
#32: Oct 16th 2022 at 9:49:36 AM

I'm concerned that the "Flag" variants might be a bit of Fan Myopia. AFAIK, that language tends to center around VisualNovels and media that discuss or riff on them, such as "Reborn as a Villainess" Isekai...

Snicka Since: Jun, 2011
#33: Oct 16th 2022 at 1:11:22 PM

Sex Signals Death sounds okay, it's not overly long and isn't easy to confuse with Out with a Bang like most other suggestions.

StarSword Captain of USS Bajor from somewhere in deep space Since: Sep, 2011
Captain of USS Bajor
#34: Oct 16th 2022 at 9:24:36 PM

Sex Signals Death seems like the best option so far.

themayorofsimpleton Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him from Elsewhere (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded) Relationship Status: Abstaining
Adept (Holding A Herring) Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
MatthewLMayfield What, me worry? from wherever he damn well pleases (Experienced, Not Yet Jaded)
What, me worry?
MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#38: Oct 17th 2022 at 5:40:05 AM

Hooked a crowner for rename + disambiguate since it's been three days.

Macron's notes
Nen_desharu Nintendo Fanatic Extraordinaire from Greater Smash Bros. Universe or Toronto Since: Aug, 2020 Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Nintendo Fanatic Extraordinaire
AegisP Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
#40: Oct 17th 2022 at 8:35:33 PM

Sex Signals Death is great for me!

Discord: Waido X 255#1372 If you cant contact me on TV Tropes do it here.
MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#41: Oct 20th 2022 at 7:25:40 AM

Calling crowner in favor of:

Rename crowner is coming up.

Macron's notes
MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#42: Oct 20th 2022 at 7:35:12 AM

Rename crowner hooked.

I skipped the names suggested here because they fit Out with a Bang better.

There were a lot of suggestions but I think I got the rest otherwise.

Macron's notes
Malady (Not-So-Newbie)
#43: Oct 20th 2022 at 8:44:45 PM

"Signals" sounds vague, and makes me think of Sex Death Juxtaposition, err... Coming and Going, because it implies a sorta immediacy of the death, like "Smoke Signals Fire". You don't expect the fire to be far away from the smoke?

I think "Omen" is a good word, but not sure how to use it, and looking at Portent of Doom is not helping me.

Edited by Malady on Oct 20th 2022 at 8:50:20 AM

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#44: Oct 23rd 2022 at 4:00:31 AM

I think Sex Signals Death brings back the Out with a Bang problem that Death By Sex has. I believe that if it is renamed to Sex Signals Death, the misuse will continue, so I voted it down. Out of all the current crowner options, the two "Foreshadows" ones are best, but I agree with the comment that using sex as a death flag is not the same thing as foreshadowing, meaning that those names are problematic as well.

I'm not sure what an ideal name would be. It's about Sex As A Death Flag, and that is the most descriptive, accurate suggestion I've seen. Unfortunately, that option doesn't appear in the crowner, so I can't vote for it. I know that Sex Signals Death was suggested as an alternative wording, but I don't think it is. I think it changes the meaning and destroys the clarity.

Edited by Wyldchyld on Oct 23rd 2022 at 4:08:37 AM

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#45: Oct 23rd 2022 at 4:17:41 AM

Since the crowner is unstable, I am going to extend it for three days so let's see what things look like on the 26th.

^ I added Sex As A Death Flag to the crowner. I don't remember it being suggested but maybe I missed it.

Edited by MacronNotes on Oct 23rd 2022 at 7:18:58 AM

Macron's notes
Amonimus the Retromancer from <<|Wiki Talk|>> (Sergeant) Relationship Status: In another castle
the Retromancer
#46: Oct 23rd 2022 at 4:24:15 AM

It was brought up here, followed by a concern that "flags" are commonly used only in specific mediums.

Edited by Amonimus on Oct 23rd 2022 at 2:24:24 PM

TroperWall / WikiMagic Cleanup
MacronNotes (she/her) (Captain) Relationship Status: Less than three
(she/her)
#47: Oct 23rd 2022 at 4:27:42 AM

Oh I must have missed it then. Hmm, well I think the name will still be understandable to people outside of fans of visual novels.

Edited by MacronNotes on Jan 3rd 2023 at 4:59:20 AM

Macron's notes
Malady (Not-So-Newbie)
#48: Oct 23rd 2022 at 5:00:07 AM

Hmm, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Death%20flag

Reminds me of Developing Doomed Characters.

What's your thoughts on Doomed Character Sex / Doomed By Sex?

Disambig Needed: Help with those issues! tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=13324299140A37493800&page=24#comment-576
GastonRabbit MOD Sounds good on paper (he/him) from Robinson, Illinois, USA (General of TV Troops) Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Sounds good on paper (he/him)
#49: Oct 26th 2022 at 1:46:36 AM

Calling in favor of Sex Signals Death since the amount of time Macron set has passed and only that option has consensus. I'll move the page.

Edit: Here are the wicks for the old name, and here are the wicks for a preexisting redirect redirect (Sex Equals Death) to sort through in addition to the old name.

Edit: Disambiguated the old name due to the confusion with Out with a Bang.

Edited by GastonRabbit on Oct 26th 2022 at 4:48:49 AM

Patiently awaiting the release of Paper Luigi and the Marvelous Compass.
RandomTroper123 She / Her from I'll let you guess... (Not-So-Newbie) Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
She / Her
#50: Jan 2nd 2023 at 5:12:23 PM

So, I was cleaning through some Death By Sex wicks (which is now down to 1,177). And, I realized the example on Characters.X Wing Series has a commented-out warning. This is the whole thing:

%%* Death By Sex: More like Death By Holding Hands. Still, Ibtisam dies in the same arc that she and Nrin finally become a couple.
%%Not an example if sex isn't involved.
I know this is a shoehorn regardless, I just want to be sure it's ok that I delete this commented-out warning when I remove this example. This is because the "ignored comment" notifier suggests we're supposed to respect commented-out warnings.

Trope Repair Shop: Death By Sex Rename
20th Oct '22 7:29:06 AM

Crown Description:

The previous crowner decided to rename Death By Sex and turn the old name into a disambiguation. This crowner's purpose is to choose a new name for Death By Sex.

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