Go Out with a Smile: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

'''Anakin:''' [[Redemption Equals Death|You already have]], Luke. You were right. You were right about me. Tell your sister... you were right.|''[[Star Wars]] Episode VI: [[Return of the Jedi]]''}}

 

The [[Mercy Kill]] may have the dying person evince some self-awareness to show this; similarly, this might be part of [[Dying as Yourself]].

 

 

 

 

== Anime and Manga ==

* In ''[[One Piece]]'', anybody who has the "Will of the D." (as exposed by having D. as their middle initial) is guilty of this.

** Gold Roger, shown in the flashback that starts every one of the first hundred episodes or so.

* [[Key Visual Arts]] loves this stuff.

** {{spoiler|Misuzu Kamio}} of ''[[AIR]]''. Her final smile {{spoiler|for her true mother Haruko}} is so full of love and so darned ''adorable''.

*** It also occurs in the [[Kyo Ani]] adaptation, only subtler.

** {{spoiler|Makoto}} in ''[[Kanon]]'', as well as {{spoiler|Ayu}}, although the latter was [[Not Quite Dead]] after all.

*** Immediately following him, {{spoiler|Natarle Badgiruel}} smiles serenely as {{spoiler|the Archangel destroys the Dominion, content in the knowledge that she's taking [[Complete Monster]] Azrael out with her.}}

**** {{spoiler|[[Big Bad|Rau Le Creuset]]}} is the creepier version of this, dying with a smile after [[The Hero|Kira]] impales him, due to his belief that [[Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds|the entire world]] will be following him. It's both chilling, and kind of sad at the same time, as you realize what a wreck the man's life truly was.

** In ''Gundam SEED C.E 73 Stargazer'', {{spoiler|[[What an Idiot!|after ignoring orders to return and exhausting all his Gundam's energy]], Shams Couza smiles before he get shot to death by [[Mecha Mook|DSSD Astrays]].}}

* In ''[[Mobile Fighter G Gundam]]'', Schwarz Brudder and {{spoiler|Domon's brother Kyouji, who he is robot replica of,}} smile as Domon destroys the core of the Devil Gundam.

* In ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn]]'', {{spoiler|1=Daguza Mackle enacts a plan that traps the Sinanju and gives Banagher an opportunity to activate the NT-D. After successfully trapping it in with Banagher (if only for a short while) and damaging its Search Eye, Full Frontal retaliates with a his shield-mounted beam saber, and Daguza uses what time he has left to turn to Banagher with a salute and a smile.}}

** {{spoiler|Jolyne}} from Part 6 smiles at Emporio before she faces off against Pucci one last time so Emporio can escape. {{spoiler|Then a page and a half later, [[Curb Stomp Battle|you see her getting ripped apart like tissue paper by Pucci's stand]]. All that remains is her stand's sunglasses, which quickly disintegrate under accelerated time.}}

** There's also {{spoiler|Ringo Roadagain}} in part 7. {{spoiler|He's smiling because he was able to awaken Gyro from being a conformist for society's ideals, to a pursuer of the "True Man's World"? The very thing Ringo was trying to get through his duels. [[Fridge Brilliance|Maybe getting Gyro to wake up to the True Man's World was how Ringo accessed the same?]] }}

* {{spoiler|Ryoko Asakura}} of ''[[Haruhi Suzumiya]]'', who despite her {{spoiler|evil intentions of slicing Kyon to bits with a knife}} maintains a smile throughout most of her battle with Yuki and even keeps a smiling face as she is being dissolved by Yuki. That just makes her ''more'' frightening.

** Actually, she doesn't really see the importance of death. In her [[Image Song]], she even states that ''heartbeats are nothing more than trivial, wave-like patterns''.

* {{spoiler|Princess Emeraude}} in the finale of the first season of ''[[Magic Knight Rayearth]]''. {{spoiler|She}} even gets to ''thank'' the Knights for killing {{spoiler|her}}, which means {{spoiler|she's free from the curse that her life as the [[Barrier Maiden|Pillar]] was}}.

* In ''[[Cowboy Bebop]]'' {{spoiler|Julia and Spike, although Spike's may be a dubious example as he dies alone.}}

** Bang.

** If you want to get literal, GN Rei in [[End of Evangelion]] does this.

** {{spoiler|Rei 2}} as well in the series. Just as {{spoiler|her Eva}} is about to detonate, she hallucinates a smiling Gendo and tearfully smiles back before the kaboom.

* Misty Honey from ''[[Cutey Honey]]'' does after delivering a cheering speech to the main heroine

* Keisei in ''[[Shikabane Hime]]''; if he didn't, he'd have turned into an undead monster.

** In the manga, this happens near the end with {{spoiler|Buccaneer}}.

** {{spoiler|King Bradley/Wrath}} plays this trope very well in the manga, admitting aloud that he's lead a long, pleasant life as he is dying. This is almost ironic, as this man is singlehandedly responsible for the genocide of an entire race of people, as well as the death of three main characters, the slaughter of a sleugh of supporting characters, and the horrific crippling of another. With all this blood on his hands, and without sounding the slightest bit evil or sadistic, he goes out genuinely happy for the fulfilling life he's had.

** The manga's {{spoiler|Greed}} turns this trope [[Up to Eleven]] by laughing maniacally while being ''rendered down to a {{spoiler|Philosopher's Stone}}.''

*** Later played again by {{spoiler|the second Greed when Father destroys him}}. As he dissolves into air and sees {{spoiler|that all of his comrades truly were his friends, he realizes his desires are finally complete}}.

** Also in the manga, {{spoiler|Hohenheim returns to Resembool after the final battle with Father and dies kneeling in front of Trisha's grave.}}

*** Pinako outright says so.

** Lust also goes out with this way in [[Dying Moment of Awesome|the]] [[A Plague on Both Your Houses|manga/Brotherhood]].

* In the ''[[Gungrave]]'' anime {{spoiler|1=Brandon/Grave and Harry McDowell both die with a smile. Mika doesn't get to Grave in time to see him die, but she realizes that although Grave is gone from her life, her memory of him and the thought that they'll always be "family" no matter what allows her to smile because she realized that Grave finally found his peace.}}

{{spoiler|'''Mika'''}}: * smiling through {{spoiler|her}} tears* "I know now...that we're a family...and always will be, forever, and ever." }}

* In ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]]'', this is both played straight and subverted. {{spoiler|Shion smiles (a sad one albeit) in Meakashi-hen when she is falling to her death and mentally promising to not repeat her mistakes; however, it quickly turned into shock when she neared the ground.}} Played straight with {{spoiler|Rena in Onikakushi-hen. She tries to give a delusional and paranoid Keiichi a [[Cooldown Hug|hug]], but is beaten to death.}}

* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh (anime)|Yu-Gi-Oh]]'': Following her [[Heroic Sacrifice]], Kisara smiles as she [[Died in Your Arms Tonight|is cradled in Seto's arms]] and reaches up to tenderly touch his face, just before falling limp.

** {{spoiler|Bruno isn't so lucky. Having declared that the loser of his duel against Yusei will disappear, he pushes his Delta Eagle to its limits just to get Yusei out the Black Hole they're in and back to the Arc Cradle. While Yusei calls out to him and reaches out, Bruno just smiles in the last shot we get of him.}}

* In Rukia's flashback in ''[[Bleach]]'', {{spoiler|Kaien smiles in her arms after being {{spoiler|run through by her sword}}, saying that he's [[Tear Jerker|glad that he can leave his heart there with her.]]}}

* {{spoiler|Ambertwo}}'s death in ''[[Pokémon (anime)|The Birth of Mewtwo]]''

* In Chapter 278 of ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'', {{spoiler|[[Crazy Awesome|Jack Rakan]], after delivering a powerful blow to Fate, begins to dissolve into sakura petals just like everyone else hit by Fate's attacks, and he, of all people, combines this with [[Obi-Wan Moment|a rather calm, relaxed attitude]] as he passes on his last words.}}

{{spoiler|Rakan: Sorry. (''a few panels later'') Ah, well. I'm sure you'll be able to handle it.}} }}

** And then he revives for a moment and does it again.

{{spoiler|Negi: Raka...n...san...}} }}

** {{spoiler|Tosaka}} did it too, after taking a hit meant for Ako Izumi.

* In the final episode of ''[[Last Exile]]'', {{spoiler|Alex Rowe dies with a smile after finally carrying out his long-sought vengeance against Maestro Delphine}}.

* In ''[[Toward the Terra]]'', {{spoiler|Jonah Matsuka}} initially seems to have died with a look of numb, [[Dies Wide Open|wide-eyed]] surprise, but actually manages to cling to life long enough to {{spoiler|telepathically draw Keith, who he was protecting, back from the brink of death}} before finally expiring with a [[Tender Tears|Tender Tear]] and a peaceful smile.

* ''[[Kowarekake no Orgel]]'': Flower goes out with a song.

* A chilling version in ''[[Gunslinger Girl]]''. Brainwashed cyborg {{spoiler|Henrietta has a smile on her face as she's lying dead after carrying out her [[Suicide Pact]] with her beloved handler Jose.}}

* ''[[The Idolmaster (anime)|THE iDOLM@STER]]'' - Parodied by Ami when she has to leave for an interview and left her sister to take care of finding out who stole the [[It Makes Sense in Context|pudding from the freezer.]]

 

== Comic Books ==

* In ''[[Cable and Deadpool]]'', this is how {{spoiler|Cable}} goes out.

* Done heartbreakingly in Villains United:

'''Parademon:''' HAHAHA! See? I told you you were funny... }}

** Made even sadder later when Ragdoll says Parademon was his best friend.

 

== Fan Works ==

* This is what happens to {{spoiler|[[Bad Movie Beatdown|Film Brain]]}} in ''[[That Guy with the Glasses in Space|I Have Heard the Voices Dying]]''.

* In ''[[Ace Combat: The Equestrian War]]'', Derpy's best friend, {{spoiler|Carrot Top}}, kept smiling during her last moments. It's particularly heartwrenching when {{spoiler|Carrot}} asks Derpy to smile as well, but isn't satisfied at first.

 

* {{spoiler|Ray the firefly}} in ''[[The Princess and the Frog]]''.

* Surprisingly perhaps, the titular individual in ''[[The Iron Giant]]'' qualifies. Although it turns out he is [[Not Quite Dead|able to reassemble himself]].

** In the censored version, Joker dies via electrocution, and it's mentioned that he did indeed have a smile on his face.

** On the other hand he does laugh hysterically when the titular character of ''[[Batman: Mask of the Phantasm]]'' prevents his escaping a massive explosion. He survives, of course, thanks to [[Joker Immunity]], but at the moment it didn't seem like he had any means to get out alive.

* In ''[[Sin City]]'', while Kevin is being cut up and fed, he's still smiling. That's not a tear jerker, though, that's just ''intensely fucking creepy''.

* The titular [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Kill Bill]]'', in the final moments of his life, not only forgives his murderer (who had all the reason in the world to be pissed at him, and he admits it), but assures her that she is ''still'' the love of his life with a gentlemanly smile and by telling her she is a wonderful person. [[Tear Jerker|If that is not a man, I don't know what is]].

** Obi-Wan Kenobi gave Luke one last knowing smile before [[Obi-Wan Moment|willingly becoming one with the Force]]. Via lightsaber.

* The Terminator of ''[[Terminator (franchise)|Terminator]] 2 Judgement Day'' is a variation of this trope. Although he could not cry for the boy that he has come to love but must leave, his "thumb up" to encourage John to courageously go on living is no less touching than the above examples.

* Roy Batty in ''[[Blade Runner]]'' does his famous 'tears in the rain' monologue with a smile on his face before dying in front of Deckard -- [[Redemption in the Rain|a man he had just saved]] and who was, up to that moment, trying to kill him. As Deckard himself muses a second later:

* Heartily recommended in ''[[Batman (film)|Batman]]'' (1989), right before the final battle:

** Not to mention the ''creepy'' grin frozen on the Joker's face when he shatters all his bones on the pavement of Gotham, with an unnervingly funny laugh from a Laughing-Bag found by Commissioner Gordon on his corpse.

*** In an early draft of the script, {{spoiler|his unnaturally frozen smile goes ''away'' as he dies.}}

* In the 1962 movie version of ''[[Billy Budd]]'', you get this for the villain, but it's definitely not the "sniff sniff" version. The SOB dies with ''a smile of victory'', knowing the hero who pwn'd him is doomed. Add that said character is played by Robert Ryan. The guy was really creepy.

* In the 2010 version of ''[[Clash of the Titans]]'', this happens when [[Cynical Mentor]] Draco aids Perseus in his climactic battle with Medusa. He knowingly sacrifices himself to stall her by impaling her tail with a stalactite. As she turns her petrifying gaze towards him, he calmly tells the hero to tell all that "men did this," before smiling smugly as he is turned to stone. An enraged Medusa shatters his petrified form afterward.

* ''[[Star Trek Generations]]'': "It was... ''fun.'' Oh my..."

* In ''[[The Fountain]]'', Tom the space traveler finally achieves peace with death moments before the nearby star goes nova. He's smiling as he's vaporized.

** Of course, he lives through this.

* [[Redemption Equals Death|Sydney Carton]] from [[Charles Dickens]]'s ''[[A Tale of Two Cities]]'': "I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord?"

** In [[Fred Saberhagen]]'s ''[[The Dracula Tape]]'', the Count hangs a somewhat cynical lampshade on this by observing that nothing seems to make a vampire look more 'at peace' to breathing humans than the knowledge that he or she is finally safely dead.

** Not to mention {{spoiler|Sirius}}, whose laughter "Had not quite died from his face" before falling through the veil.

* [[The Thrawn Trilogy|Thrawn]], after he is finally defeated and then [[Bodyguard Betrayal|stabbed by his bodyguard]], smiles and tells Pellaeon "[[Famous Last Words|But... it was so artistically done.]]" before [[Eye Lights Out|his eyes go out]].

* In ''They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'', Gloria often tells her only friend, Robert that she wishes she were dead, and finally [[I Cannot Self-Terminate|asks him to shoot her, because she doesn't have the courage to kill herself]]. He obliges, and [[In Medias Res|at the beginning of the book]], recalls her expression as she died: "She was relaxed and comfortable and she was smiling. It was the first time I had ever seen her smile."

* In the short story "Call me Joe", when a man is dying (after dumping most of his mind into an artificial body, similar to the ending of the [[Avatar (film)|Avatar]]), the doctor remarks that he saw many people who didn't want to live, but this is the first one to smile until the last moment.

* "[[The Little Match Girl]]"

* ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' has Tywin Lannister who almost never smiled in life practically grinning during his funeral. This is something of a subversion, because most of the characters are convinced that his mouth is twisting as a side effect of the corpse rotting, but [[Even Evil Has Loved Ones|Tywin's sister Genna]] seems to hope that it is this trope.

* In ''[[Jurassic Park]]'', Malcolm, after chapter upon chapter of getting angry at Hammond's ignorance and scientists in general, dies with a smile. {{spoiler|He gets better, though.}}

 

* Subverted in the ''[[Supernatural (TV series)|Supernatural]]'' episode "No Rest For The Wicked". Dean might have smiled at his crying brother but it's one of those smiles that you do when you're trying to be brave, trying not to throw up from fear and trying not to cry yourself. And then he sees the Hellhound come to kill him, freaks and runs into another room with Sam and Ruby, and is torn apart in there a few minutes later while Sam watches helplessly.

* In ''[[Smallville]]'', right before Jonathan Kent succumbs to his heart attack, he attempts to smile one last time to his family and tell them "I love you." [[Tear Jerker|Oh geeze]]...

* In ''[[The Mentalist]]'', Bosco not only smiles himself, but manages to make a tearful, distraught Lisbon who loves him (and they've just had an [[Anguished Declaration of Love]]), smile. Just the most heart-wrenching death.

* Narrowly [[Averted Trope]] in ''[[Merlin (TV series)|Merlin]]'' after Lancelot is captured and about to be executed after securing Guinevere's escape from a warlord's keep. When he's threatened with a slow and painful death, he only gives a beautific smile and tells them that because Guinevere is safe, he dies happy. Only for the men to drag a recaptured Guinevere back into the arena. But then Prince Arthur saves them both anyway.

* Beautifully done in ''[[Farscape]]''. After absorbing a lethal amount of radiation the clone of John Crichton smiles at Aeryn Sun and delivers one of the most heartbreaking lines in the series. "Don't worry about me, I've never felt better."

* Archie Kennedy in the sixth installment of the [[Horatio Hornblower]] mini-series, after saving Horatio's life and career. Albeit something of a tearful-looking smile (and largely there for Horatio's sake), but still one that could light up a room.

* {{spoiler|Philip}} in ''[[Kamen Rider Double|Kamen Rider W]]''. Large portions of the episode are devoted to the characters wanting to make sure he does so, rather than go out in pain.

* {{spoiler|H.G. Wells}} in ''[[Warehouse 13]]'' does this for {{spoiler|Myka after safely sealing her and Pete and Artie in a force field to protect them from an impending explosion but leaves her unprotected to be hit full force by the blast.}}

 

== Music ==

* The end of the chorus of "Fences" by [[Paramore]] features the line: 'So smile/'Cause you'll go out in style.'

* [[Queen]], "The Show Must Go On".

''On with the show!'' }}

 

== Video Games ==

* Just before being [[Ret-Gone|erased out of existence]], [[The King of Fighters|Ash Crimson]] smiles one last time for his childhood friend Elizabeth.

* Although he doesn't die, [[Dawn of War|Sergeant Cyrus]] believes in this. As he knows that he will die one day in battle, regardless of his skill or experience, he's come to realize that death is not exactly the best thing to do. When Sergeant Thaddeus asks him, Cyrus merely tells him to save some of the victory feelings he gets when he has beaten a very tough opponent, so that when the end does come, you can remember the feeling you got when you won and not have bad things to consider.

* After an [[Best Boss Ever|epic battle]] with his pupil [[Asura's Wrath]], {{spoiler|[[Old Master|Aug]][[Blood Knight|us]] dies smiling, content that his last battle was as exhilarating as he had hoped, even [[Graceful Loser|giving Asura his blessing]]}}.

** {{spoiler|Yasha dies smiling after his last battle with Asura, in hope that the now powered up Asura can save the world.}}

** Several of {{spoiler|your squadmates}} do something like this if {{spoiler|they die during the suicide mission.}}

** In ''[[Mass Effect 3]]'':

'''{{spoiler|Mordin}}:''' ''"I'm not. Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong."'' }}

** Also in ''Mass Effect 3'': {{spoiler|Anderson dies with a peaceful smile after telling Shepard how proud he is of her/him. Shepard seems just about ready to do the same before a call from Hackett and an intervention from the Catalyst pull her/him out of it.}}

 

* In ''[[Ribbon of Green]]'', the Good ending has {{spoiler|Hanyuan fade away with a smile}}. Subverted as she is [[Dead All Along]].

* In ''[[Fate/stay night|Fate Stay Night]]'', both the Fate and Unlimited Blade Works' scenarios endings. {{spoiler|Archer}}'s death in UBW is perhaps made more poignant by the fact that {{spoiler|he knows very well that he's going back to his own Special Hell where he'll see the evils of humanity over and over again}}, but still smiles and reassures his ex-partner that he'll be fine.

* ''[[Tsukihime]]'' plays it straight in {{spoiler|Hisui's True Ending with Akiha}}. It then completely subverts this when {{spoiler|Kohaku [[Driven to Suicide|kills herself]]; Kohaku dies smiling, but she just revealed that [[Emotionless Girl|she can't feel anything]].}}

* Cruelly played with in one of the ''[[School Days]]'' bad endings. [[Yandere|Kotonoha]] has an insane, lifeless smile on her lips when she [[Driven to Suicide|throws herself off a building]], after Makoto picks her love rival Sekai over her. They end up traumatised forever and split up after some time.

 

== [[Web Comics]] ==

* Pauline from ''[[Our Little Adventure]]'' dies this way, probably because she knows she will be able to be with her husband and son who were murdered some time before.

* {{spoiler|1=[http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20061215 Lars]}} from ''[[Girl Genius]]''. Although she wasn't in love with him, Agatha did not [[Heroic BSOD|take it]] [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge|well.]]

 

== Web Original ==

* In ''[[Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog|Doctor Horribles Sing Along Blog]]'', {{spoiler|Penny}} dies with a slight smile on her face while attempting to reassure Billy that "Captain Hammer will save us."

* [[Half Life: Full Life Consequences|"John Freeman had Gordon Freeman and saw eyes shut and the breath stopped but Gordon Freeman had smiles on face."]]

** Craig Hoyle pulls one of these off as well, causing quite a bit of pain for his accidental killer, Nik Kronwall.

 

== Western Animation ==

* In ''[[Justice League (animation)|Justice League]]'', [[Darkseid]] was left to die on an exploding asteroid after being beaten by Superman. Darkseid's only reaction to his impending death? Sneer and mock Superman's failure to kill him personally.

** Similar thing happens with {{spoiler|Prowl}} in ''[[Transformers Animated]]''. Cue crying fangirls.

*** Cue [[Tear Jerker|crying]] ''everyone''.

* In the ''[[American Dad]]'' episode "Rapture's Delight" {{spoiler|Stan}} takes a shot meant for {{spoiler|Jesus}} and also sets off a time bomb meant to destroy the lair of the Anti-Christ. While he is offered the chance of being raptured to Heaven {{spoiler|Stan}} turns it down because the bomb will go off before {{spoiler|Jesus}} can perform the spell. After kissing Francine {{spoiler|Stan}} is left alone with a cigar and a grin just as the bomb goes off, promptly killing him.

* ''[[Samurai Jack]]'', "Jack and the Lava Monster" - '''FREE'''.

 

== Real Life ==

* [[Four-Star Badass|Admiral Horatio Nelson's]] last words were "thank God I have done my duty."

* In 2011 in the Seattle area, a middle-aged (not old) hobby fisherman caught a 20-lb. salmon, the biggest fish of his life. He turned to a stranger, said happily, "This is the fish of my dreams," then fell into the river and died of a heart attack. They barbecued the salmon and ate it at his wake. Not such a bad way to go, yes?

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Death Tropes]]

[[Category:Smile Tropes]]