Murder Is the Best Solution: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

{{quote|'''Crazy Mage 1:''' ''"We cannot trust anyone."''

'''Crazy Mage 2:''' ''"Especially each other."''

 

Essentially, there is some sort of problem, and immediately someone suggests killing as the solution, despite there being multiple other, better, and more rational solutions.

[[Hitler's Time Travel Exemption Act|What will pretty much always subvert this trope is traveling back in time to kill Hitler.]]

 

 

Compare [[Stating the Simple Solution]] or [[Kill Him Already]], when someone else suggests murder as a ''more'' sensible alternative to, say, a [[Death Trap]]. If the target is sent on a suicide mission, or if his death is arranged to occur by the hand of a mutual enemy, it's [[The Uriah Gambit]]. May require [[The Coroner Doth Protest Too Much]] in order for the perpetrator to get away with it (though probably not for long.)

 

== Serious Examples ==

* Millardo Peacecraft in ''[[Gundam Wing]]''.

* Char Aznable in ''[[Mobile Suit Gundam]]'', and more so during ''Char's Counterattack''.

* ''[[Naruto]]'': Uchiha Sasuke seems to have started working under the idea that "murdering enough people will make all my problems disappear and my desires a reality" is a viable solution.

** To be fair, no less than three [[Manipulative Bastard|manipulative bastards]] have spent years of his life drilling this trope into his head. He actually killed one (though he was [[Not Quite Dead]]) and devoted his life to killing the other two, though that said all three of them [[Kick the Son of a Bitch|'''really''' had it coming]] {{spoiler|Itachi arguably didn't, but he intentionally made it ''look'' like he did. And since that was via murdering his whole family [[For the Greater Good]], even ''he'' thought he did.}} It also (with a couple of hiccups) took him years to develop this mindset despite all that, as he refused to kill anyone apart from his mass murdering older brother (and, of course, [[Complete Monster|Orochimaru]]). It took a bombshell about the "truth" of the death of his family and further manipulation from the most dangerous of those [[Manipulative Bastard|bastards]] to turn him out this way, and even then its still possible that he's really just [[Brainwashed and Crazy]].

** {{spoiler|Byakuya's victory over Tsukishima DID return them back to normal.}}

 

* ''[[Watchmen]]''

** For Rorschach, deadly force is more or less his ''first'' line of defense, and then there's all the people he kills because he ''thinks'' they deserve it. Mind you, he has a black and white view of morality...

'''Storm:''' Have we any other option?

'''Psylocke:''' Wolverine's. We kill him. }}

* 1950s [[EC Comics]] were ''filled'' with this trope played dead straight; the setup for many, ''many'' stories was the protagonist meeting a new love and deciding they have to murder their existing spouse. Sometimes it would be justified by them still wanting the spouse's money, but usually not. Divorce was more difficult in those days, because no-fault divorce didn't exist prior to 1953, so you had to show cause (usually mental illness, cruelty, or adultery) -- and if the suing spouse was thought to be condoning the cause (ie they knew and didn't file right away) or recriminating (by having their own affair, say) the divorce was barred.

 

** This one makes [[Justified Trope|slightly more sense]], in that the programming conflict is from two equal and opposite commands to "tell crew vital information" and "keep vital information secret until reaching orbit". If there is no crew, the problem goes away...

* ''[[Goodfellas]]'' has this trope in the whole movie.

* Works out well for everyone but the murderers in ''[[The Lady Killers]]''.

* ''[[Very Bad Things]]'' is "This Trope: The Movie".

 

=== Literature ===

* Used in ''[[World War Z]]''. The Ukranian army is trying to process a mass of refugees who are fleeing from a zombie swarm behind them into Kiev. Since it's impossible to examine everybody and sort out the infected in time, the commanders opt to drop nerve gas on the lot of them. The infected are the only ones who stand up afterward.

* Played straight in [[Spider Robinson]]'s ''Variable Star'', [[Posthumous Collaboration|based upon an outline by]] [[Robert Heinlein]]. {{spoiler|The hero protagonist, explicitly stated to be trained in avoiding combat, decides on a plan to stop the villain by getting his own friend killed to distract a (likely innocent) bodyguard long enough to kill her as well. This despite controlling the villain's FTL ship (the only remaining valuable asset of a man obsessed with greed), the man who knows how to build new ones and is the pilot, the ship itself, both of the man's daughters, and ''the only possible escape route for the villain,'' '''and''' being able to escape with all of the above simply by climbing on board the ship and taking off.}}

* Milla of ''[[The Seventh Tower]]'' seems a little too eager to kill Tal during their first meeting.

* In ''[[Warrior Cats]]'', this is generally what the majority of the characters seem to think is the best solution to everything. Oddly enough, the fans tend to ''[[Misaimed Fandom|agree]]'' with them. Notable in that this is never played for laughs.

* The students in ''[[The Secret History]]'' opt to kill the one most likely to rat out their ''previous'' (accidental) murder.

* ''[[Discworld]]''

** Mostly averted by the tyrannical Patrician, Lord Vetinari, who despite his reputation is more than happy to offer condemned criminals a job rather than a death. Of course, if they turn down the job....

* [[Harry Potter|Lord Voldemort]] falls afoul of this trope in ''Deathly Hallows''. Despite knowing full well that the Elder Wand can be taken without killing its previous owner - in fact, he's met and interrogated two people who lost it and lived - he thinks the sensible solution is to kill his trusted lieutenant. [[Anvilicious|Because he's evil (seriously, by DH it was like Avada Kedavra was the only spell he knew any more).]]

** [[Completely Missing the Point|Well, technically he didn't use the Avada Kedavra curse to kill Snape. He used Nagini.]]

* Elizabeth Bathory in ''[[Count and Countess]]''. She punishes all criminals, and even minor nuisances, in the exact same way.

* Corsus, general of the [[The Empire|Witchland]] in E. R. Eddison's ''[[The Worm Ouroboros]]'', will opt for murder in a tight spot: Thus, he poisons King Rezedor of Goblinland, stabs his second-in-command Gallandus for fear of mutiny, and, finally, {{spoiler|poisons the whole remaining elite of Witchland}} in an effort to save his skin. Each time, it backfires on him and leaves him off worse than before.

 

=== Live-Action TV ===

'''{{spoiler|Amber:}}''' We could kill her. }}

* On the BBC series ''[[Sherlock]]'', people who consult [[Psycho for Hire|Jim Moriarty]] tend to get this kind of solution. It takes a very ''special'' mind to solve a terminally ill man's inability to provide for his estranged family after he is gone by paying the man to commit random murders.

 

=== Tabletop Games ===

* The only way to cure the fourth, most deleterious stage of [[Torches and Pitchforks|Disquiet]] in ''[[Promethean: The Created]]'' is to kill the Promethean that caused it.

** Likewise, it's a part of every Promethean's [[To Become Human|Pilgrimage]] that they must create at least one new Promethean, and the only way a [[So Beautiful It's a Curse|Galateid]] can do so is to use the body of a beautiful youth unmarred by injury. It's noted in text that there are only so many beautiful youths who die of accidental drownings or barbituate overdoses or gas leaks, and sometimes a Galateid has to take an active hand...

* Pretty much any ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' game eventually.

** Seymour in ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'' wants to kill everyone in the world to [[Put Them All Out of My Misery|end global suffering]] (or maybe just because he's a psychopath).

* In ''[[Mitadake High]]'', players often come to this conclusion. The killer obviously has reached this conclusion long before the game started. Sometimes this is played straight, other times it's played for laughs.

* Subverted in ''[[Fire Emblem]]: Path of Radiance''. Though in most of the game [[Violence Is the Only Option]], there are several chapters where not fighting certain enemies will earn you a reward. In one chapter in particular, the force comes upon a building of priests that is under the grip of the enemy, which forces them to fight you. You can kill the priests, but if you get through the chapter without killing a single one, you get one of the best staves in the game. =

 

== Comedic Examples ==

* When Negi has a fight with Asuna in ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'', [[Perverse Puppet|Chachazero]] says that Negi should probably apologize to Asuna... but since that's too much of a pain, he should just kill her instead. It comes up again later on, as Negi is a [[Clueless Chick Magnet]], and is going to be a total [[Bishounen]] when he hits puberty. Chisame points out that "He's going to make a lot of girls cry in the future", and that it might be better for all involved if they just kill him now.

* In ''[[Carnival Phantasm]]'', Grail-kun is always happy to help out someone in need by providing them a useful tool. Examples include the Hero Creation Kit (a knife, so Shirou can kill the few to save the many), the Friendmaker (a knife, so Shinji can "Show [Gilgamesh] who's boss") and the Servant Strengthening Device (a knife, so Kotomine can kill [[They Killed Kenny Again|Lancer]] and summon a better Servant).

* Shirou in [[The Hill of Swords]] has a habit of responding to every problem Louise has by offering to kill someone. Mostly played for laughs, but births some [[Fridge Horror]] when you realize that early on, he would have no problem killing anyone she asked him to, regardless of any other considerations.

 

* ''[[Hot Fuzz]]'': The whole conspiracy.

* A scene in ''[[Terminator (franchise)|Terminator]] 2''. John Connor orders the Terminator to deal with two jerks, whereupon the T-800 sets out to kill them. Perfectly justified, [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|as this is exactly what the Terminator was made to do]].

'''John:''' Because you just can't, OK? Trust me on this. }}

* ''[[Hudson Hawk]]''. Two of Darwin and Minerva Mayflower's minions failed to keep track of Hudson Hawk.

''(they dance together)'' }}

 

=== Literature ===

** The Church Knights in ''The Elenium'' and ''The Tamuli'' frequently suggest "constructive Elenishism". This tends to involve swords, axes, crossbows and so forth.

 

* Used in the first episode of ''[[My Name Is Earl]]'', when Joy tried to kill Earl to claim his lottery winnings, because he hadn't changed his will by then.

* One ''[[The Kids in The Hall]]'' sketch had an alien spy who was so nervous that he would continually blow his own cover and then order the destruction of the planet that he was on.

* A humorous variant on the previously mentioned ''[[The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'' example: Cameron discovers that James Ellison [[Berserk Button|lied to the Connors]] about {{spoiler|Cromartie's corpse.}} She immediately decides to kill him, at which point Sarah tells her she ''can't'' kill him. Cameron's response?

{{quote|'''Cameron:''' But he's the only one I ''want'' to kill.}}

* The Computer in ''[[Paranoia]]'' executes first. The Computer does not "ask questions", it "debriefs"...and executes after. If the players aren't as naturally homicidal as RPG players are expected to be, they're usually assigned troubleshooting duty, which is summed up as: "find trouble and shoot it."

 

* ''[[Arsenic and Old Lace]]'': Two [[Beneath Suspicion|nice old ladies]] advertise a boarding house for elderly men. Unfortunately, their solution for relieving these men of their loneliness is to serve them homemade elderberry wine laced with arsenic. It's one of their "charities". Johnny's first solution is often murder or violence too... maybe it runs in the family (or rather gallops).

* Jack Stone in the musical ''[[Reefer Madness]]'' seems to subscribe to this school of thought.

* The obligatory Bioware games' [[Heroic Comedic Sociopath]].

** Lilarcor in ''[[Baldur's Gate]] 2''.

*** Renegade!Shepard gets a few of these too, such as the "I should just kill both you idiots" line during Chorban and Jahleed's dispute about the results of your scans of the Keepers in the first game.

** HK-47 in ''[[Knights of the Old Republic]]'' ("I would much rather this get bloody, master!"). And his suggestion for gaining prestige at the Sith Academy ("Suggestion: We could start by slaughtering the occupants of this building, Master. Would that be impressive?").

** In ''[[Dragon Age]]'' ''Origins'' this role is filled by Shale, whose stated solution to pretty much everything is 'crush it'. [[Token Evil Teammate|Sten and Morrigan]] also espouse the more violent or 'evil' solutions, usually losing you influence by being selfless unless you Persuade them otherwise, but their examples are less [[Played for Laughs]].

* In ''[[Nanashi no Game]]'', this plays a key role in ''why'' the [[The Most Dangerous Video Game|cursed RPG]] is cursed.

** And in the second game {{spoiler|she subverts it. Killing Chell is actually [[Determinator|pretty hard,]] so she ends up letting her go.}}

* In the game [[Sacrifice]], this is played for laughs by the God of Death, Charnel.

=== Web Animation ===

* "Ordinarily I would just drown my sorrows in video games, but for this, maybe I should drown them in... drowning ''them''." -- '''[[Homestar Runner|Strong Bad]]'''

*** Explain to me how drowning them wouldn't ruin their date.

 

* Hannelore of ''[[Questionable Content]]'', [http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1576 as seen here]. Possibly due to having a [[Mad Scientist]] father and a Bond Villain mother.

{{quote|'''Hannelore:''' I MUST ELIMINATE ALL WITNESSES OF MY CRIME.}}

* [[Pibgorn]] Being trapped in a [[Film Noir]] scenario [http://www.gocomics.com/pibgorn/2009/06/17/ will do it to you.]

* In ''[[Exiern]]'' [http://www.exiern.com/?p=1255 Tiffany doesn't want to go to the dance] with an escort, but she can't not go, and doesn't want to look silly by not having one. The solution, some sort of compromise surely?

{{quote|'''Tiffany''':''"...mass murder would solve the problem, right?"}}

 

=== Western Animation ===

*** While it's no doubt funny, Cartman ''was'' entirely serious and later attempts to kill him - with a wiffle bat.

** In "Pinewood Derby", representatives from countries around the world decide the best way to deal with Finland is [[Nuke'Em]].

* The 8-year-old children on ''[[Home Movies]]'' recommend murder to solve far too many problems.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Madness Tropes]]

[[Category:Morality Tropes]]

[[Category:Rule of Drama]]