Incurable Cough of Death: Difference between revisions

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If you have a cough, you're going to be dead before the end of the show.
If you have a cough, you're going to be dead before the end of the show.


This is usually accompanied by [[High Pressure Blood|nasty amounts]] of [[Blood From the Mouth]] which is always a bad sign, even when there's no plausible reason for it, and may also involve collapsing. The character will probably try to hide it and will usually succeed until they actually pass out, no matter how ridiculously obvious it is. For some reason the character rarely visits a doctor after fainting/coughing blood/generally feeling like shit, no matter when the story takes place, possibly because of the [[Rule of Drama]]. A character that goes outside in the rain or snow will often die, because he/she didn't "get out of those wet clothes fast enough". This trope is almost always carried out by the [[Ill Girl]] or [[Littlest Cancer Patient]].
This is usually accompanied by [[High-Pressure Blood|nasty amounts]] of [[Blood From the Mouth]] which is always a bad sign, even when there's no plausible reason for it, and may also involve collapsing. The character will probably try to hide it and will usually succeed until they actually pass out, no matter how ridiculously obvious it is. For some reason the character rarely visits a doctor after fainting/coughing blood/generally feeling like shit, no matter when the story takes place, possibly because of the [[Rule of Drama]]. A character that goes outside in the rain or snow will often die, because he/she didn't "get out of those wet clothes fast enough". This trope is almost always carried out by the [[Ill Girl]] or [[Littlest Cancer Patient]].


In Western literature the trope was heavily influenced by the prevalence of tuberculosis, an infectious disease considered by many historians to be the greatest killer in human history - yes, even greater than malaria or plague. The symptoms of tuberculosis (also known as consumption, phthisis, TB, or the White Death) are identical to those of the [[Incurable Cough of Death]], but death would usually come far more slowly for the TB patient, at least in [[Real Life]]. It's hard to say whether pneumonia influenced the trope or not, since pneumonia wasn't always differentiated from tuberculosis in the old days: the rapidity of death sounds more like pneumonia than TB, but then again all lung diseases back then were considered a form of tuberculosis - yes, even lung cancer, which wasn't even recognized as a separate disease until the end of the 19th century.
In Western literature the trope was heavily influenced by the prevalence of tuberculosis, an infectious disease considered by many historians to be the greatest killer in human history - yes, even greater than malaria or plague. The symptoms of tuberculosis (also known as consumption, phthisis, TB, or the White Death) are identical to those of the [[Incurable Cough of Death]], but death would usually come far more slowly for the TB patient, at least in [[Real Life]]. It's hard to say whether pneumonia influenced the trope or not, since pneumonia wasn't always differentiated from tuberculosis in the old days: the rapidity of death sounds more like pneumonia than TB, but then again all lung diseases back then were considered a form of tuberculosis - yes, even lung cancer, which wasn't even recognized as a separate disease until the end of the 19th century.
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'''As this is a Death Trope, unmarked spoilers follow,''' though, really, the entire point of the trope is that the death isn't a spoiler to the [[Genre Savvy]] viewer, so as far as ''spoiler by definition'' tropes go, this is one of the safer ones. In any case, you have been warned.
'''As this is a Death Trope, unmarked spoilers follow,''' though, really, the entire point of the trope is that the death isn't a spoiler to the [[Genre Savvy]] viewer, so as far as ''spoiler by definition'' tropes go, this is one of the safer ones. In any case, you have been warned.
{{examples|Examples:}}
{{examples}}


== Anime and Manga ==
== Anime and Manga ==
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* In ''[[Macross Frontier]]'', the [[Incurable Cough of Death]] is simply one of the V-Type Infection's syndromes (among dizzy spells, fever, keeling over at the drop of a hat...) that {{spoiler|Sheryl Nome}} has to endure, even though {{spoiler|Grace}} has claimed the V-Infection to be incurable and fatal. {{spoiler|Her}} struggling to overcome these in order to reassert {{spoiler|herself and her ideals}} seems to be one of the major plot arcs as the series nears its end.
* In ''[[Macross Frontier]]'', the [[Incurable Cough of Death]] is simply one of the V-Type Infection's syndromes (among dizzy spells, fever, keeling over at the drop of a hat...) that {{spoiler|Sheryl Nome}} has to endure, even though {{spoiler|Grace}} has claimed the V-Infection to be incurable and fatal. {{spoiler|Her}} struggling to overcome these in order to reassert {{spoiler|herself and her ideals}} seems to be one of the major plot arcs as the series nears its end.
** {{spoiler|However, Sheryl doesn't die, but is saved when Ranka moves the virus from her brain to her stomach region, turning it into more of a symbiosis than infection.}}
** {{spoiler|However, Sheryl doesn't die, but is saved when Ranka moves the virus from her brain to her stomach region, turning it into more of a symbiosis than infection.}}
* Zest of ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]'' has this, due to being one of [[Mad Scientist|Jail's]] botched attempts at an [[Super Soldier|Artificial Mage]]. {{spoiler|While [[Huge Guy Tiny Girl|Agito]] hates her for doing it, she thanks Signum for killing Zest in battle, letting him die as a knight instead of a sick man.}}
* Zest of ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]'' has this, due to being one of [[Mad Scientist|Jail's]] botched attempts at an [[Super Soldier|Artificial Mage]]. {{spoiler|While [[Huge Guy, Tiny Girl|Agito]] hates her for doing it, she thanks Signum for killing Zest in battle, letting him die as a knight instead of a sick man.}}
** Precia Testarossa as well. Why is she coughing up blood? Who knows! Probably stress and overworking herself, even though we never actually see her doing much apart from whipping Fate.
** Precia Testarossa as well. Why is she coughing up blood? Who knows! Probably stress and overworking herself, even though we never actually see her doing much apart from whipping Fate.
*** The movie manga reveals that she suffered from cancer.
*** The movie manga reveals that she suffered from cancer.
* In the anime ''[[Magic Knight Rayearth]]'' (second season), [[Anti Villain]] Eagle Vision is in an advanced stage of this. He forces his friend and minion Geo to not reveal it so he can die a "warrior's death".
* In the anime ''[[Magic Knight Rayearth]]'' (second season), [[Anti-Villain]] Eagle Vision is in an advanced stage of this. He forces his friend and minion Geo to not reveal it so he can die a "warrior's death".
* A character appearing on two episodes of the mecha anime ''[[Metal Armor Dragonar]]'' is shown to have this disease. However, he ends up surviving just long enough to see his two longtime compatriots killed, one by "friendly" fire, and then gets shot down himself after proving to be a significant enough opponent to elicit an upgrade of all three main [[Humongous Mecha]].
* A character appearing on two episodes of the mecha anime ''[[Metal Armor Dragonar]]'' is shown to have this disease. However, he ends up surviving just long enough to see his two longtime compatriots killed, one by "friendly" fire, and then gets shot down himself after proving to be a significant enough opponent to elicit an upgrade of all three main [[Humongous Mecha]].
* Averted in ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'', where Satsuki and Mei's mother clearly ''is'' in a clinic for tuberculosis but {{spoiler|gets cured and sent home (after a few scares) in the end.}}
* Averted in ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'', where Satsuki and Mei's mother clearly ''is'' in a clinic for tuberculosis but {{spoiler|gets cured and sent home (after a few scares) in the end.}}
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* Subverted by another real-life character played by [[Kate Winslet]], Juliet Hulme, in ''[[Heavenly Creatures]]''. Juliet suffered from TB as a child, and her relapse as a teenager is signaled by one scene of her in school coughing slightly and then spurting a tasteful amount of blood on her text book. She spends months in hospital, {{spoiler|and helps her best friend Pauline murder Pauline's mother, after Juliet recovers}}.
* Subverted by another real-life character played by [[Kate Winslet]], Juliet Hulme, in ''[[Heavenly Creatures]]''. Juliet suffered from TB as a child, and her relapse as a teenager is signaled by one scene of her in school coughing slightly and then spurting a tasteful amount of blood on her text book. She spends months in hospital, {{spoiler|and helps her best friend Pauline murder Pauline's mother, after Juliet recovers}}.
* ''Miss Potter'' - Ewan McGregor's character, Norman Warne. Mr. Warne's sister has to tell his fiancee Beatrix that Norman died suddenly, possibly caused by getting rained on at the train station to say goodbye to Beatrix. "It was just a cough!", Millie Warne says. Actually Norman Warne died of Leukemia, which apparently doesn't cause coughing, but maybe that's not nearly as "romantic"?
* ''Miss Potter'' - Ewan McGregor's character, Norman Warne. Mr. Warne's sister has to tell his fiancee Beatrix that Norman died suddenly, possibly caused by getting rained on at the train station to say goodbye to Beatrix. "It was just a cough!", Millie Warne says. Actually Norman Warne died of Leukemia, which apparently doesn't cause coughing, but maybe that's not nearly as "romantic"?
* In ''[[Constantine (Film)|Constantine]]'', the titular [[Anti Hero]] is dying of lung cancer, complete with bloody cough, and he knows it. In the end, of course, {{spoiler|he tricks the Devil into curing him so he won't [[Go Into the Light|go to Heaven]]}}.
* In ''[[Constantine (Film)|Constantine]]'', the titular [[Anti-Hero]] is dying of lung cancer, complete with bloody cough, and he knows it. In the end, of course, {{spoiler|he tricks the Devil into curing him so he won't [[Go Into the Light|go to Heaven]]}}.
** That wasn't a trick, that was {{spoiler|the Devil}} being an asshole because he didn't want to lose; Constantine really shouldn't have given him ''the finger'' while going into the light...
** That wasn't a trick, that was {{spoiler|the Devil}} being an asshole because he didn't want to lose; Constantine really shouldn't have given him ''the finger'' while going into the light...
*** In the novelization, it wasn't Constantine's fault he flipped off the devil. God made him do it as He carried Constantine into the Light.
*** In the novelization, it wasn't Constantine's fault he flipped off the devil. God made him do it as He carried Constantine into the Light.
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* In ''[[Sherlock Holmes (Film)|Sherlock Holmes]]: A Game of Shadows'', {{spoiler|Irene Adler}} is murdered with some kind of poison that causes this and [[Blood From the Mouth]] followed by death in minutes.
* In ''[[Sherlock Holmes (Film)|Sherlock Holmes]]: A Game of Shadows'', {{spoiler|Irene Adler}} is murdered with some kind of poison that causes this and [[Blood From the Mouth]] followed by death in minutes.
* The James Eckhart indie film ''To Be Friends'' has one scene like this on a beach to establish that the lead female character is terminally ill, explaining why she and her best friend are in the countryside so {{spoiler|she can commit suicide.}}
* The James Eckhart indie film ''To Be Friends'' has one scene like this on a beach to establish that the lead female character is terminally ill, explaining why she and her best friend are in the countryside so {{spoiler|she can commit suicide.}}
* George "The Gipper" Gipp ([[Ronald Reagan]]) in ''Knute Rockne: All American'', dies this way after his freshman season playing for Notre Dame ([[One Scene Wonder|which was covered in about ten minutes in the film]]).
* George "The Gipper" Gipp ([[Ronald Reagan]]) in ''Knute Rockne: All American'', dies this way after his freshman season playing for Notre Dame ([[One-Scene Wonder|which was covered in about ten minutes in the film]]).




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* ''[[Angel (TV)|Angel]]'': Fred is killed when her body is taken over by an ancient god. The first symptom? Coughing up blood.
* ''[[Angel (TV)|Angel]]'': Fred is killed when her body is taken over by an ancient god. The first symptom? Coughing up blood.
* On ''[[Lost (TV)|Lost]]'', Richard's wife dies shortly after coughing up blood. The soundtrack identifies her illness as pneumonia. This occurs in 1867 in an isolated town on the Canary Islands, so her prognosis is reasonable.
* On ''[[Lost (TV)|Lost]]'', Richard's wife dies shortly after coughing up blood. The soundtrack identifies her illness as pneumonia. This occurs in 1867 in an isolated town on the Canary Islands, so her prognosis is reasonable.
* Played frighteningly straight with ''[[Kamen Rider Dragon Knight]]'' as [[Well Done Son Guy|Chris Ramirez]], aka Kamen Rider Sting, had asthma severe enough to get him discharged from the Marines. It probably wasn't lethal on its own, but when given the offer to be a Kamen Rider he [[Jumped At the Call]]. After that he really aggravated his condition with all the superheroics, ignoring every warning sign along the way. At least when he went out, it was by [[Heroic Sacrifice]] instead of illness (and due to being a [[Fate Worse Than Death]] that turned out to be not really, he was able to come back in the epilogue ''and'' the heroes now could use [[Phlebotinum]] to cure him).
* Played frighteningly straight with ''[[Kamen Rider Dragon Knight]]'' as [["Well Done, Son" Guy|Chris Ramirez]], aka Kamen Rider Sting, had asthma severe enough to get him discharged from the Marines. It probably wasn't lethal on its own, but when given the offer to be a Kamen Rider he [[Jumped At the Call]]. After that he really aggravated his condition with all the superheroics, ignoring every warning sign along the way. At least when he went out, it was by [[Heroic Sacrifice]] instead of illness (and due to being a [[Fate Worse Than Death]] that turned out to be not really, he was able to come back in the epilogue ''and'' the heroes now could use [[Phlebotinum]] to cure him).
** While not Chris' counterpart, the series from which Dragon Knight adopted its footage, ''[[Kamen Rider Ryuki]]'' also contains one such character in Shuichi Kitaokao/Kamen Rider Zolda. In fact, its more or the less the main reason why he becomes involved in the Rider War as he wants to use the promised wish to grant himself immortality, thereby curing himself. By the end of the series, Shuichi decides to quit the Rider War deciding to enjoy what little time he has left. However, {{spoiler|he also begins to feel the need to take some personal responsibility over his role in allowing his [[Arch Enemy]] to become a Rider, and decides to fight him one last time. Before he gets the chance, however, he succumbs to his illness and dies. Even taking the [[Reset Button]] ending into account, there's no indication that things will turn out any better for Kitaoka, and worse, he'll probably never go through the [[Character Development]] he did in the series and grow out of his [[Jerkass]] tendencies.}}
** While not Chris' counterpart, the series from which Dragon Knight adopted its footage, ''[[Kamen Rider Ryuki]]'' also contains one such character in Shuichi Kitaokao/Kamen Rider Zolda. In fact, its more or the less the main reason why he becomes involved in the Rider War as he wants to use the promised wish to grant himself immortality, thereby curing himself. By the end of the series, Shuichi decides to quit the Rider War deciding to enjoy what little time he has left. However, {{spoiler|he also begins to feel the need to take some personal responsibility over his role in allowing his [[Arch Enemy]] to become a Rider, and decides to fight him one last time. Before he gets the chance, however, he succumbs to his illness and dies. Even taking the [[Reset Button]] ending into account, there's no indication that things will turn out any better for Kitaoka, and worse, he'll probably never go through the [[Character Development]] he did in the series and grow out of his [[Jerkass]] tendencies.}}
* In the ''[[Numb3rs]]'' episode, "Janus List", the a bomber, Taylor Ashby coughed a few times in the beginning before being blown up by one of his bombs. Later, it was revealed that he was poisoned and that he only have a short time to live even if he wasn't burned.
* In the ''[[Numb3rs]]'' episode, "Janus List", the a bomber, Taylor Ashby coughed a few times in the beginning before being blown up by one of his bombs. Later, it was revealed that he was poisoned and that he only have a short time to live even if he wasn't burned.
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