Murder Is the Best Solution: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

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

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

'''Crazy Mage 3:''' ''"Oh, the solution is so simple. We KILL. KILL everyone."''

 

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.

 

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.

 

* In ''[[2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', the [[A.I. Is a Crapshoot|HAL 9000 computer]], faced with an [[Logic Bomb|irreconcilable programming conflict]], decides that the only way to ensure the mission's success is to kill the crew of the ''Discovery'' and complete the mission by himself.

** 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...

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

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

 

=== Literature ===

* 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....

* The ''[[Alex Rider]]'' book series has [[Well-Intentioned Extremist]] and [[Big Bad]] of the fourth book {{spoiler|Damian Cray}}, who, after petitioning and protesting against a laboratory testing its products on animals, came to realize that Murder Is the Best Solution. [[Ax Crazy|And]] [[Chaotic Evil|it]] [[Complete Monster|all]] [[Nuke'Em|went]] [[Apocalypse How|downhill.]]

* 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 ===

 

== 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]].

* 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.

=== 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.

 

* 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]]