Died in Your Arms Tonight: Difference between revisions

{{worktrope}}

[[File:diedinyourarms.jpg|link=Gundam Seed Destiny|rightframe]]

{{quote|''Oh I, I just [[Trope Namer|died in your arms tonight]]<br />

''It must have been something you said''|'''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqqVgXPclsE Cutting Crew]''', "(I Just) Died in Your Arms"}}

[[Death Is Dramatic]], depressing, and emotional enough, but sometimes, just for the extra emotional kick-in-the-gut [[Tear Jerker]], the author will make a character die in the arms of a futile onlooker. As the onlooker (usually one of the dying character's [[True Companions]]) holds them dearly, the dying may [[Go Out Withwith a Smile|flash them a smile]] or [[Famous Last Words|make a final dramatic statement]] before finally [[Big Sleep|closing their eyes]] and succumbing to their fate.

If this is done on an [[Anyone Can Die]] show, expect the character to be [[Killed Off for Real]] ([[Death Is Cheap|usually]]). Can turn into [[ItsIt's Personal]] for the witness, and very often overlaps with [[How Dare You Die Onon Me!]] and [[Dying Declaration of Love]]. May be an extension of [[Stay Withwith Me Until I Die|the refusal to let your loved one]] [[Dying Alone|Die Alone]].

Compare with [[PietaPietà Plagiarism]], the pose characters generally find themselves in, [[Cradling Your Kill]], when a character dies in their killer's arms, and [[Deadly Hug]], where the victim is killed ''during'' the embrace. Contrast [[Intimate Healing]], where a wounded or ill character is ''less likely'' to die while in a loved one's arms. (Though strangely enough, ''intimacy'' is exactly what's being referenced by the Cutting Crew song.)

* {{spoiler|Romeo}} dies in Juliet's arms, in ''[[Romeo X Juliet]]'', after being [[Impaled Withwith Extreme Prejudice]].

* In ''[[Angel Beats (Anime)|Angel Beats!]]'', Kanade passes on in Otanoshi's arms.

* Masaki in young Ichigo's and Shiba Kaien in Rukia's in ''[[Bleach (Manga)|Bleach]]''. Subverted a little with Orihime whose brother (presumably) didn't die in her arms but his ''ghost'' did.

* L in Light's in ''[[Death Note (Manga)|Death Note]]'', although Light cradling L in his arms as he dies is actually just an act; when Light thinks nobody but L can see his face, he flashes a smugly victorious [[Slasher Smile]] at L just before L expires. However, if you ask the shippers...

* In ''[[Black Cat (Mangamanga)|Black Cat]]'', [[Disposable Woman|Saya]] died in Train's arms.

* Surprisingly little in ''[[Dragon Ball (Manga)|Dragon Ball]]''; usually the heroes find people already dead if there's mourning to do. If they die in the presence of others, it's usually not in someone's arms ''per se''.

* ''[[Weiss Kreuz]]'' gets some mileage out of this one: Aya gets to both Asami and Sena ''just'' in time for this, Sister Ruth dies in the arms of both Ken ''and'' Omi, Nagi catches Tot as Fafarello stabs her (she recovers) and has a nice [[Freak -Out]], and, most dramatically of all, Ouka Sakaki is shot as Omi embraces her, telling her [[Tempting Fate|they'll always be together]]...

* In ''[[One Piece (Manga)|One Piece]]'', {{spoiler|Ace}} [[Taking the Bullet|shields]] Luffy from a killing blow, and he dies while Luffy holds him in his arms. This trope contributes to the [[Tear Jerker|sheer emotional impact this death has on both Luffy and the viewer]].

* ''[[Clannad (Visualvisual Novelnovel)|Clannad]]'': {{spoiler|Ushio}} dies in Tomoya's arms.

* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'' '''LOVES''' this trope:

** ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5 Ds5D's]]'': Carly dies in Jack's arms (undone at the end of the season).

* But perhaps the most tear-jerking of them all is {{spoiler|Misuzu dying in Haruko's arms}} in ''[[AIR (Visual Novel)|AIR]]''. The kicker? [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMJ84qtMu4E It plays to the most heart-wrenching award bait song EVER.]

* In ''[[Future War 198 X198X]]'' Michael frantically searches for {{spoiler|Marina}} after a fight breaks out in Neinberg, only to find her crushed under the rubble of a building. He pulls her out and she dies in his arms.

* Sasuke appears to die in [[Naruto (Manga)|Naruto]]'s arms.

* In ''[[Gungrave]]'' episode 24, Sherry ended up taking a bullet meant for Harry when he was attacked by an assassin. Harry screamed her name while he clutched her to his chest.

* In ''[[Gundam Wing]]'' [[How We Got Here|Episode Zero]], Wufei's wife Meiran dies in his arms after she tried to save her space colony.

* In ''[[Kaze no Stigma (Light Novel)|Kaze no Stigma]]'', {{spoiler|Ayumi}} dies in Ren's arms.

* [[Inverted Trope]] in ''[[Jo Jos Bizarre Adventure (Manga)|Jo JosJoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]'' during ''Phantom Blood's'' (the first part of the Manga) ending, where {{spoiler|Jonathan Joestar}} dies while holding {{spoiler|Dio Brando's severed, but quite alive, head}} in his arms.

* On one occasion, it was a [[Berserk Button]] for [[Sub -Mariner|Namor]] that entirely too many people over the years had died in his arms after [[Taking the Bullet]] for him, and the latest one didn't even get to speak any [[Last Words]].

* After [[Heroic Sacrifice|sacrificing himself]] to [[Taking You Withwith Me|kill Kang]], [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]] dies in [[Captain America (comics)|Steve Roger]]'s arms. ''[http://i45.tinypic.com/1t4kgg.png Very dramatically]''.

== Fan Fiction Works ==

** The absolutely heartbreaking moment in ''[[Ace Combat the Equestrian War (Fanfic)|Ace Combat: The Equestrian War]]'' when {{spoiler|Carrot Top}} [[Tear Jerker|dies in Derpy's arms]].

* Blade2''[[Blade|Blade 2]]'' - Nyssa disintegrates in the sunlight while Blade cradles her.

* Fiamma dies in Miss. G's arms in ''[[Cracks]]''. Subverted in the fact that Miss. G is killing Fiamma by withholding her inhaler while she has an asthmatic attack.

* [[Redemption Equals Death|Nathan]] in Shilo's arms in ''[[Repo! theThe Genetic Opera]]''.

* In ''[[Galaxy Quest (Film)|Galaxy Quest]]'', Quellek gets shot by one of Saris' minions after he and Dr. Lazarus free some Thermians from certain death. Before dying in his arms, Quellek tells him that the doctor was like a father to him. Dr. Lazarus quotes his famous line seriously for the first time in the film before rushing and attacking the minion, who's having some gun jamming issues.

* In ''[[Hook (Film)|Hook]]'', Rufio dies in Peter Pan/Banning's arms.

{{quote| '''Rufio''': "[[Tear Jerker|I wish I had a dad... like you.]]"}}

* Somewhat cruelly subverted in [[John Woo]]'s ''[[The Killer]]'' when the title character dies. He and his love interest Jenny miss each other as they grope for each other on the ground near the burning church due to both of them being blind at this moment, Jenny due to the tragic mistake that kicked off the whole thing, and Ah Jong due to getting shot in the eyes by the [[Big Bad]]. The reason the scene came out like it did was because Chow Yun-Fat and Sally Yeh, the actors of the two in question, could only be scheduled to shoot on different days.

{{quote| '''Morgan Earp''': Remember what I said about [[Go Into the Light|people seein' a bright light]] before they die? It ain't true. I can't see a damn thing.}}

* ''[[Serenity (Film)|Serenity]]'': Shepherd Book dies in Mal's arms after the Alliance attacks Haven.

* In ''[[Rob Zombie]]'s [[Halloween (Filmfilm)|Halloween]] II'', Annie dies in Laurie's arms.

* ''[[Star Wars]]: [[The Phantom Menace]]'' ends with Qui-Gon Jinn dying in Obi-Wan's arms (does this happen to [[Ewan McGregor]] a lot?)

* The [[Live Action Adaptation]] of ''[[Death Note (Manga)|Death Note]]'' had {{spoiler|Light dying in his father's arms (made all the more poignant on Soichiro's part by the fact that Light tried to kill him only minutes before).}}

* There is a variation of this trope at the end of ''[[The Boondock Saints]]''. [[Dead Sidekick|Rocco]] is shot while tied to a chair, which is knocked down by the force of the shot. [[Sibling Team|Connor and]] [[Vigilante Man|Murphy]] are tied to chairs on either side of him, and Murphy falls to the ground beside him, taking his chair with him. While there can be no arms involved (because they are all tied), Rocco dies with Murphy's head [[Heartwarming Moments (Sugar Wiki)|buried in his shoulder]] while the brothers [[Manly Tears|scream with grief]]. [[Tear Jerker|It is a very touching scene]], and conveys the general emotion of this trope, complete with Rocco's [[Famous Last Words]].

{{quote| '''Rocco''': [[Determinator|You can't stop]]. [[It Has Been an Honor|You get out of here]]. [[Vigilante Man|Don't ever stop]].}}

* ''[[Tangled (Disney)|Tangled]]'': {{spoiler|[[Heroic Sacrifice|Flynn/Eugene dies]]}} in Rapunzel's arms. Thanks to a teardrop and the healing incantation, {{spoiler|he gets better.}} The position of the characters in this scene is [[Shout -Out|very reminiscent of]]...

* ''[[Beauty and The Beast (Disney)|Beauty and Thethe Beast]]'': Beast dies in Belle's arms. Thanks to Belle's timely, spell-breaking "I love you," he recovers.

* In ''[[PansPan's Labyrinth]]'', [[Too Good for This Sinful Earth|Ofelia]] dies in [[Parental Substitute|Mercedes']] arms, while Mercedes [[Tear Jerker|hums a lullaby to her, trying (and failing) not to cry]].

* Dobby does this in [[Harry Potter and Thethe Deathly Hallows (novel)|Harry's]] arms. {{spoiler|Later, so does Snape.}}

* An interesting example occurs in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire (Literature)|A Song of Ice and Fire]]'': Joffrey Baratheon dies in the arms of his helpless, grief-stricken mother Cersei. To a person who doesn't know the series, the scene could definitely be considered tragic. But since the two characters are generally considered villainous-- [[Royal Brat|Joff]][[Complete Monster|rey]] in particular-- byparticular—by those who read the books, it's not very sad and can even count as a [[Karmic Death]] for Joffrey.

== Live -Action TV ==

* The Master and [[Disney Death|Jenny]] in the Doctor's in ''[[Doctor Who (TV)|Doctor Who]]''. {{spoiler|Both get better.}} <!-- % Do not pothole to I Got Better. The Master's revival in this instance is not an Unexplained Recovery. -->

** At the end of ''The Pandorica Opens'', {{spoiler|Rory is last seen cradling the body of Amy, half-fallen away from him after he accidentally shot her. Don't worry, she gets better too}}. <!-- Likewise. -->

* In order of death: Estelle, Tosh and Ianto in Jack's in ''[[Torchwood (TV)|Torchwood]]''.

* Nathan Petrelli in Peter's in the second season (he got better) Daphne Millbrook in Matt's in the third season of ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]''. Also Claire Bennett in her mother's arms in one of her [[Healing Factor|many]], [[Good Thing You Can Heal|many]] deaths in the first season.

* [[Angel (TV)|Fred in Wesley's arms]] before her soul is consumed by [[Cosmic Horror|Illyria]]. A few episodes later, Wesley dies in Illyria's arms while Illyria takes the form of Fred.

{{quote| '''Illyria''': Would you like me to lie to you now?}}

* ''[[Farscape (TV)|Farscape]]'': One of the two John Crichtons (long story) dies in Aeryn's arms of [[Heroic Sacrifice|radiation poisoning]].

* ''[[Hex]]'': Thelma is stabbed by Azazel when she tries to [[Heroic Sacrifice|save Cassie]] and falls into her arms. She [[Back Fromfrom the Dead|got better...]] [[Spirit Advisor|sort of.]]

* [[Xena]] and Gabrielle have each died in the other's arms more than once. [[Back Fromfrom the Dead|They got better.]]

* ''[[Blood Ties (TV)|Blood Ties]]'': Mike dies in Vicki's arms after being shot, but Henry hits the [[Reset Button]] on the [[Groundhog Day Loop]] and he's fine.

* ''[[Dark Angel]]'': Max dies in Logan's arms after being shot in the season 1 finale. [[Back Fromfrom the Dead|She gets better.]]

* ''[[Hercules: The Legendary Journeys]]'': During Gilgamesh's ritual to raise Dahok, he throws the sacrificial dagger at Nebula. Iolaus [[Big No|yells]] and [[Heroic Sacrifice|dives in front of her]], taking it in the chest. He dies shortly afterwards in Hercules' arms. He later [[Came Back Wrong|is possessed]] and [[Back Fromfrom the Dead|gets better]].

* ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'': Sam is stabbed in the back severing his spinal cord as he and Dean are reunited at the end of the penultimate episode of season 2. Sam dies in his arms, but Dean makes a [[Deal Withwith the Devil|deal with a demon]] to [[Back Fromfrom the Dead|bring Sam back]].

** Actually subverts the usual form of this trope in that Sam doesn't get a chance to say goodbye or really anything at all--heall—he just gets stabbed in the back, falls down, looks vaguely unfocused and dies. He barely seems to register Dean's presence.

* Marian dies in Robin's arms in ''[[Robin Hood (TV series)|Robin Hood]]'' at the end of season two.

* In ''[[Spooks]]'', {{spoiler|Fiona}} dies in the arms of {{spoiler|her husband Adam}} after being shot by {{spoiler|her ex-husband who had come [[Back Fromfrom the Dead]]}}. Her dying wishes that he look after {{spoiler|their son Wes}} made it even sadder

* [[Law and Order SVU|Alex and Olivia.]] Not canon my ass.

* The groundbreaking ''[[MashM*A*S*H (TVtelevision)|Mash]]'' episode "Sometimes You Hear The Bullet," in which Hawkeye's friend (author of a book he was writing under the episode title) dies on the operating table. Hawkeye asks why he weeps for his friend and not the kids who have died before, and Henry rationalizes only this:

{{quote| '''Henry:''' All I know is what they told me at medical school. Rule one: Young men die. Rule two: Doctors can't change rule one.}}

* Sura dies in [[Spartacus: Blood and Sand]]' arms.

* ''[[Skins]]'': Chris dies in Cassie's arms.

* ''[[The Outer Limits]]'' episode "Corner of the Eye''": Two best friends successfully foil an alien invasion, then one dies of his injuries in the other's arms.

** And then in season three, ALISHA dies in SIMON'S arms. It's that sort of a show.

* "My Last Breath" by [[Evanescence (Music)|Evanescence]]. The narrator in the song is dying, and singing the song to her lover.

{{quote| Can you feel me in your arms?}}

* ''Naked as We Came'' by Iron&Wine.

{{quote| I lay smiling like our sleeping children / One of us will die inside these arms. }}

* "Sons of Fate" by [[The Protomen (Music)|The Protomen]].

* J. Frank Wilson's ''Last Kiss'' (The [[Pearl Jam (Music)|Pearl Jam]] version is a cover.):

{{quote| But somehow I found my baby that night<br />

I lifted her head, she looked at me and said,<br />

"Hold me, darling, just a little while."<br />

I held her close, I kissed her our last kiss;<br />

I found the love that I knew I had missed.<br />

Well, now she's gone, even though I hold her tight.<br />

* Eponine dies in Marius' arms in ''[[Les Misérables (Theatretheatre)|Les Misérables]]''.

* Rodrigo in Schiller's and Verdi's ''[[Don Carlo|Don Carlos]]s'' dies in the title character's arms.

* [[Hamlet (Theatre)|Hamlet]] in Horatio's.

* Mimì in Rodolfo's arms in ''[[La Boheme]]'' by Puccini; subverted in the modern musical ''[[Rent (Theatre)|Rent]]'', where Mimi has a new lease of life.

* In the famous dramatization of ''East Lynne'', Lady Isabel, disguised as Madam Vine, takes her son William into her arms in his dying moments, and asks him to call her his mother. He does so, and dies. Isabel's ensuing lament that her child died without knowing she was his mother is famous although [[Beam Me Up, Scotty|invariably misquoted]].

* In ''[[Love Never Dies]]'', Christine dies in the Phantom's arms.

** And in ''[[Fire Emblem: the Sacred Stones (Video Game)|Fire Emblem theThe Sacred Stones]]'', if you chose Eirika's path, the first CG you see in the epilogue shows her holding the dying {{spoiler|Queen Ismaire}} in her arms.

* In ''[[Rival Schools (Video Game)|Project Justice]]'''s {{spoiler|Taiyo High}} ending, {{spoiler|Hyo}} dies in {{spoiler|his brother Kyousuke}}'s arms.

* ''[[Kingdom Hearts 358 Days Over 2 (Video Game)|Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days]]'' has {{spoiler|Xion's death, or rather Xion's individuality as a separate being. As it wasn't depressing enough already imagine dying in the arms of someone who's forgetting you even as he tries to hold on.}}

* In ''[[Mega Man X (Video Game)|Mega Man X]] 4'', if you choose to play as Zero, after you defeat {{spoiler|Zero's love interest, Iris}}, Zero cradles {{spoiler|her}} in his arms until {{spoiler|she}} "dies". A rather touching scene, if you can get past the bad voice acting.

* At the end of ''[[Mother 3 (Video Game)|Mother 3]]'', {{spoiler|Claus dies in Lucas' arms}}. [[Tear Jerker|*sniff*]]

* As an another addition, ''[[Persona 3 (Video Game)|Persona 3]] Portable'''s ending on a [[New Game Plus+]] gives the protagonist (you) the choice to meet whomever you've maxed your Social Link with romantically to die in their arms. For the female protagonist, this includes {{spoiler|Shinjiro Aragaki, who merely woke up from a coma three days before.}}

* In ''[[Tales of Monkey Island (Video Game)|Tales of Monkey Island]] Chapter 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood'', {{spoiler|1=Guybrush finds Morgan LeFlay mortally wounded by her own Blade of Dragotta and runs to her side, holding her in his arms (or rather with his hook hand) as she slowly dies after telling him about the incident in the Marquis De Singe's lab.}}

* ''[[Nine Hours Nine Persons Nine Doors (Visual Novel)|Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors]]'': {{spoiler|June dies in Junpei's arms in the "safe" and "submarine" endings.}}

* In a discarded storyboard for [[Team Fortress 2 (Video Game)|Team Fortress 2]] promotional video Meet The Medic, a BLU Sniper dies dramatically in the arms of a BLU Soldier. Cue [[Big No]]...and then [[Mood Whiplash|both of them get run over by an incoming train]].

* ''[[Nie RNieR]]'''s third ending has {{spoiler|Kainé}} dying in your character's arms after {{spoiler|you kill her when the Shade inside her takes control.}} There's also {{spoiler|Fyra in the King's, and Devola in Popola's.}}

* ''[[Final Fantasy XIII -2]]'': {{spoiler|At the end, [[Power Degeneration|Serah has her final vision]], and as she collapses, [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|Noel pulls her into a hug to hold her upright]]. After a few seconds, Serah dies, and both of them fall to the ground together, still embracing. When Hope arrives a few minutes later, Noel is [[Crowning Moment of Sadness|still cradling Serah's body against his chest]].}}

** {{spoiler|Yeul is shown dying several times throughout the story}}; on at least two of these occasions, she is cradled in either {{spoiler|Noel or Caius'}} arms.

* Therkla in Elan's in ''[[The Order of the Stick (Webcomic)|Order of the Stick]]''. To make matters worse, despite the fact that resurrection is relatively easy for an adventuring party...

{{quote| '''Therkla''': "I'll take my chances that the Afterlife won't have any punishment worse than not being with you."}}

* A fan's take on a ''[[Team Fortress 2 (Video Game)|Team Fortress 2]]'' "Meet the Spy" animation has the Spy [[Chewing the Scenery|over-selling]] his "death" to an Engineer who just shot him, collapsing dramatically into the Engineer's arms (complete with literal [[PietaPietà Plagiarism]]), {{spoiler|so he can have a point blank shot to the Engineer's head, just as planned}}. (See it [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdZE59eJdEw here].)

* {{spoiler|Ma-Ti}} in [[The Nostalgia Critic (Web Video)|The Nostalgia Critic]]'s arms at the end of ''[[Suburban Knights]]''.

* [[Dark Action Girl|Clio Gabriella]] died this way in v4 of ''[[Survival of the Fittest]]'', in the arms of her boyfriend Simon Telamon. She [[Alas, Poor Villain|even begged for him to help her.]]

* In ''[[Wakfu (Animation)|Wakfu]]'', {{spoiler|[[Idiot Hero]] Sadlygrove dies in the arms of his [[Love Interest]], Evangelyne}}.

* ''[[Beast Wars (Animation)|Beast Wars]]'': Silverbolt ''thinks'' this happens with Blackarachnia (complete with [[Big No]]). Rattrap and Rhinox let him get it out of his system, before mockingly pointing out that she's merely in [[Only Mostly Dead|Stasis Lock.]]

* [[Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)|Aang]] dies in Katara's arms in the season two finale. He got better with the assistance of the spirit water and Katara's healing powers, though he can't access the Avatar State {{spoiler|until the final battle against Ozai}}.

* ''[[Thundercats 2011 (Western Animation)|ThunderCats (2011)]]'' has [[The Hero]] Lion-O doing this twice.

** In "Song of the Petalars" Lion-O holds his [[Lilliputians]] [[Plant Person]] friend Emrick in the palms of his hands, as Emrick dies of old age, due to his race's [[Rapid Aging|one-day]] lifespan. Lion-O grieves that Emrick hasn't achieved all his goals, but Emrick, who by his [[Time Dissonance|reckoning]] has led a rich, [[We Are Asas Mayflies|fulll lifetime]], assures him that [[ItsIt's the Journey That Counts]].

* Yakko Warner cradles his sister Dot as she dies near the end of [[WakkosWakko's Wish]], breaking down in tears as she makes him tell her special story "one last time." We see later {{spoiler|she, and arguably he, were just acting}} but it's no less [[Tear Jerker|tearjerky]] to watch.

[[Category:Tear Jerker Tropes]]

[[Category:The Bitterness Trilogy (Fanfic){{PAGENAME}}]]