Off with His Head: Difference between revisions

[[File:Touche_9989Touche 9989.jpg|link=James Thurber|frame|[[Bloodless Carnage|There's usually more blood involved.]]]]

{{quote|You don't kill a man by mucking around with [[Cool Gun|rifles]], [[The Archer|arrows]], [[Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking|rocks]] or other long-distanced rubbish. You kill him by grabbing [[BFS|the biggest bloody sword you can find]], running up nice and close to him, and [[Off with His Head|chop the dumb bastard's head off]]!|''[[Team Fortress 2]]''}}

It is nearly always depicted as being [[Made of Plasticine|surprisingly easy to do]], even in one blow to a moving target. While Anne Boleyn did get beheaded with one stroke, most pre-guillotine beheadings took at least three strokes (plus, Boleyn's executioner waswas—by -- by request -- arequest—a professional swordsman who would know how to cleanly behead someone).

Also see [[Alas, Poor Yorick]], and [[Decapitation Presentation]]. When cutting of the head is [[Achilles' Heel|the]] ''[[Achilles Heel|only]]'' [[Achilles Heel|way]] to kill something, it's [[Decapitation Required]].

* In the manga of ''[[Samurai Deeper Kyo]]'', Kyo beheaded Nobunaga in their fight in the forest.

* In the ''[[Naruto]]'' manga, Zabuza kills [[Corrupt Corporate Executive|Gato]] this way, but the anime [[Bowdlerise|Bowdlerised]]d it down to kicking him off of a bridge.

** {{spoiler|Killer Bee and the Raikage}} together blow {{spoiler|a Zetsu clone diguiseddisguised as Kisame}}'s head right off, [[Major Injury Underreaction|which compliments them on its way down]].

** Still better than getting it taken off by {{spoiler|a ''giant spinning tire''}} like {{spoiler|Uso's mom Mueller}} in ''[[Mobile Suit Victory Gundam|Victory Gundam]]''.

* The Headhunter in [[Pandora Hearts]], invoked by name.

{{quote|''The Queen of Hearts

''Made some tarts

''The Knave of Hearts

''Stole these tarts

''So the mad queen said

''"Off with his head!" }}

* ''[[Berserk|Guts]]'': Guts is powerful enough to shear off the head of a horse with one blow from his [[BFS]], as evidenced during the rampage at the end of the first Black Swordsman story and against General Boscogn during the Golden Age arc, just before taking Boscogn's head as well.

* ''[[Dragon Ball|Vegeta]]'': Vegeta does this to [[Time Stop|Guldo]] after he tried to kill [[Beware the Nice Ones|Gohan]] and [[The Krillin|Krillin]], though it was only because he wanted to kill off the weakest member of the Ginyu Force (he didn't give a damn about them at that point). Guldo [[Losing Your Head|actually lives long enough to yell at Vegeta for what he did]] until he vaporized him.

* In ''[[Amon]]'', an alternative continuation to ''[[Devilman]]'', {{spoiler|Akira's love interest Miki and her little brother are both decapitated by an angry mob after it was revealed on TV that Akira is actually Devilman.}}

** Also happens to {{spoiler|Chikako Ikeda}} in the ''Mountain Villa Bandaged Man Murder Case''. {{spoiler|And her killer not only beheads her, but ''dismembers'' her and carries her head around hidden in his clothes.}}

* In ''[[Soul Eater]] '' {{spoiler|Justin cuts off Tezca's head.}}

* In the ''[[Lupin the ThirdIII]]'' movie ''Dead or Alive'', to show Ole he's serious about the situation, General Headhunter casually decapitates one of his own men with a sword.

* ''[[Puella Magi Madoka Magica]]'': {{spoiler|Mami Tomoe}} is [[Killed Off for Real]] {{spoiler|in the penultimate timeline}} in episode 3 after {{spoiler|the witch Charlotte}} ''devours her head''. This led to a funny/creepy [[Memetic Mutation]] where she is represented with her head off-panel, hidden or missing. Or carrying it. This also leads to the Japanese fans treating the word {{spoiler|'Mami'}} as this trope (as in {{spoiler|"Mami'd/Mamiraretta"}} to be equivalent of having the head chopped off]]

** Also, {{spoiler|in that same timeline Sayaka Miki chops off the witch Elsamaria's head with her sword. [[There Is No Kill Like Overkill|And then she]] mutilates Elsa's corpse, as proof that poor Sayaka is this close to cross the [[Despair Event Horizon]].}}

* The Headsman from ''[[Thunderbolts]]'', as his name would imply, enjoys lopping heads off with his tremendous axe very, very much. This all traces back to his childhood, when his [[Aloof Big Brother]] Cody beheaded his beloved dog.

* Happens several times in the ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film)|Lord of the Rings]]'' movies:

* The titular weapon of the ''[[Flying Guillotine (franchise)|Flying Guillotine]]'' kung fu movies, including ''[[Master of the Flying Guillotine]]'', was a basket that was thrown and dropped upon someone's head. As the name would suggest, once the basket landed on someone's head, the chain was pulled, the blades would go to work, and it was [[Off with His Head]]!

* In the movie ''[[Johnny Mnemonic]]'', the assassin was told to come back with Johnny's head, as it contained a cybernetic brain implant whichthat had important information in it.

* ''[[The Matrix]] Revolutions'' has Neo decapitating an Agent Smith-possessed bad guy with a jackhandlejack handle.

* Obviously, almost every single death in ''[[Sleepy Hollow (Film)|Sleepy Hollow]]''.

* In ''[[The Mummy Trilogy|the 1999 version of ''The Mummy 1999]]'']], Rick O'Connell decapitates a mummy, and it falls "dead" after the head spins for a bit. Then he decapitates another, and it starts juggling with the head, only falling "dead" after Rick hits the head [[Painting the Fourth Wall|towards the camera]].

** In ''[[The Mummy Trilogy|The Mummy Returns]]'', the only way to kill an Anubis Warrior is by taking off its head.

** But in the 1975 sequel, ''The Terror Of Mechagodzilla'', not only does this not work, but the rays its exposed core begins firing at [[Godzilla|G]] actually get * ''stronger* ''!

** The above quote comes from ''Revenge of the Fallen'', where {{spoiler|Optimus doesn't just chop the Fallen's head off, he ''tears it off''}}. And it's not a nice, clean -cut either. {{spoiler|He rips his face -off, and you can see the Fallen vomiting up his equivalent of blood as he dies.}} Geez. [[Beware the Nice Ones]], indeed.

* Trevor Nunn [[Book Ends|bookends]] his film ''[[Lady Jane]]'' with decapitations.

* The death of Simon Phoenix, the [[Big Bad]] of ''[[Demolition Man]]'', combines this trope with [[Kill It with Ice]].

* In ''[[Clive Barker|TheMidnightMeatTrainThe Midnight Meat Train]]'', the killer takes out one victim by hitting him so hard with a meat tenderizer that his head goes flying across the train car. For added [[Narm]], the camera cuts to the point of view of the victim's head.

* ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]] Origins: Wolverine]]''; the title character talks about wanting to decapitate his big brother, but only end up beheading "Weapon XI" ([[Deadpool]]/[[Fan Nickname|Dudepeel]], in this version an experimented up Wade Wilson).

* ''[[Severance]]'': Two characters discuss decapitation as a possible death and how long the head can remain aware even after it's severed. Guess how one of them dies. No, go on, guess...

* In ''[[Jeepers Creepers]]'', the creeper beheaded a police officer with an axeax while he was driving a car. In the second film, he trapped a student with his wings and beheaded him, leaving his body still twitching for a few seconds before collapsing. The creeper consumed the head in order to grow himself a new one.

* ''[[Monty Python and Thethe Holy Grail]]''. The knight Bors has his head bitten off by the [[Killer Rabbit|Rabbit of Caerbannog]].

* In ''[[Heavy Metal (animation)|Heavy Metal]]'', Taarna's [[Informed Ability|only genuine act]] of [[Badass|Badassery]]ery is to decapitate three [[Mooks]] in a bar.

* Happens surgically in the film adaptation of ''[[The HitchhikersHitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy (film)|The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy]]'', when Humma Kavula takes one of [[The Ditz|Zaphod Beeblebrox's]] heads as collateral before their trip to Magrathea.

* The Hong Kong film ''[[Heroic Trio]]'' has a villain who has a chain weapon that cuts people's heads off in an almost identical manner ''[[Master of the Flying Guillotine]]'' to the point where it is probably a [[Shout-Out]].

* ''[[8 Heads in a Duffel Bag]]''

* Jason Voorhees of the ''[[Friday the 13th (film)|Friday the 13 th13th]]'' series has decapitated 10 or more of his victims in the series. One notable instance is the triple decpitationdecapitation in ''Part VI''.

*** {{spoiler|His mother}} was also killed this way in the original.

* In the climax of ''[[Speed]]'' Jack Traven pushes Howard Payne against a stop light while ontop of a speeding subway train causing the fixture to knock his head ofoff his body.

* In ''[[Starship Troopers (film)|Starship Troopers]]'', at least two soldiers are decapitated by the Hopper bugs.

* In the ''[[Apocalypse]]'' film series, those who refuse to take the [[Mark of the Beast]] when inside the Day of Wonders virtual reality program are subject to a virtual beheading, or in some cases another form of death like a lethal snake bite, which causes [[Your Mind Makes It Real|the victim to die in reality]].

* Neville's [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] in ''[[Harry Potter and Thethe Deathly Hallows (novel)|Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]'': {{spoiler|He chops off Nagini's head with the sword of Gryffindor. After pulling it out of the flaming Sorting Hat.}}

** Let's not forget Nearly Headless Nick. He's decapitated, but his head stays attached to his body by somea narrow strip of remaining flesh and remains that way in his ghostly form. There's are also properly decapitated ghosts that can throw their heads around at will.

* In [[Dan Abnett]]'s ''[[Gaunt's Ghosts]]'' novel ''First & Only'', this is how the Inquisitor Heldane deals with the doctor who objects to his coming into the infirmary; it is told from the POV of the doctor, who sees his own boots and only then realizes that he lost his head.

** In ''Traitor General'', Uexkull kills the local commander this way when [[You Have Failed Me...|he fails]] to search for Gaunt and his men as a top priority.

* In [[C. J. Cherryh|C.J. Cherryh's]]'s ''[[The Paladin (novel)|The Paladin]]'', Shoka and Taizu are good enough with a sword to decapitate with seeming ease.

* Another favorite kind of death in Brandon Sanderson's ''[[Mistborn]]'' series, especially as the Steel Ministry loves to dual-wield obsidian axes. There are the mass executions in ''The Final Empire'', the first Steel Minister seen killed, and most brutally to the reader {{spoiler|Elend Venture, possibly intentionally on his part}} at the climax of ''Hero of Ages''.

* In the ''[[Warhammer 4000040,000]]'' novel ''[[Grey Knights]]'', Justicar Tancred finishes off {{spoiler|the fallen Saint Evisser reanimated}} by lopping his head off.

* Robert Olen Butler's book ''Severance[[Severence]]'' consists entirely of vignettes presenting the imagined last thoughts of decapitation victims throughout history (including a few non-humans and the occasional fictional character). Very weird, quite fascinating.

* In [[Robert E. Howard]]'s ''[[Conan the Barbarian]]'' story "Beyond the Black River", Zogar Sag has his enemies decapitated so their heads can be offered on an altar.

* In Isabel Allende's "''[[The House Of Spirits]]"'', {{spoiler|Clara's mother Nívea}} has her head cut off when she and {{spoiler|her husband Severo}} perish in a crash car and a metal shard beheads her. Her head goes flying and isn't found until much, ''much'' later, {{spoiler|when Clara is about to give birth to Blanca. She gets a vision of said head and goes searching for it with Esteban and some servants.}}

* In ''[[Stationery Voyagers]]|Stationery Voyagers: Final Hope]]'', Laura Herrante's Crimson Owl protection means she has [[Video Game Lives|infinite lives]], and will regenerate a new body from mud whenever she gets killed. [[Good Thing You Can Heal|Naturally]], she is being captured and decapitated by Astrabolo's forces time and again. Because they [[Plot Induced Stupidity|can't seem to figure out]] that the [[Achilles' Heel|key to defeating her]] is {{spoiler|that she [[Can't Have Sex Ever]].}} Vaneesa also meets a grisly end, between a blade and a rock. The other girls meet arguably worse fates. (Poor Philidrio [[Cartwright Curse|feels so alone]]!)

* Done through guillotines (referred to as "loyalty enforcement facilitators") on the general populace to enforce the law of taking the "[[Mark of the Beast|mark of loyalty]]" during the Tribulation in the ''[[Left Behind]]'' book series.

* So many heads rolled in the miniseries ''[[Henry VIII (miniseries)|Henry VIII]]'' (2003) that it practically became a [[Running Gag]]. The King plays a particularly nasty joke on Cromwell: the executioner {{spoiler|has never taken off anyone's head before. The results are not pretty.}}

* ''"[[Blackadder|Oooh]]'': [[Crowning Moment of Funny|"Oooh dear,]] [[Richard of Gloucester|Richard the Third]]."''

* The 1980 miniseries ''[[Shogun]]'' was noted as being the first American network production to actually show a head being cut off on screen. The VHS version of the mini-series is gorier and shows the blood spurting from the neck.

* The [[Highlander (TV series)|''Highlander]]'' TV series]], like the films, is also predicated on the fact that a beheading is the only way for Macleod to survive battles with other immortals. Therefore this happens in virtually every episode (although usually off-screen).

* The title character of ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' occasionally decapitatesdecapitated her enemies, mostly vampires or demons.

* Happens many, MANY''many'' times in ''[[1000 Ways to Die]]'':

* Severed heads were a pretty common trope in [[Celtic Mythology]], since they identified it as the [[Cranial Processing Unit|location of the soul]]. The most famous is probably [[Our Giants Are Bigger|Bran the Blessed]], whose [[Losing Your Head|still-living head]] is buried somewhere in the South-East of England to guard the British Isles against invaders.

* There is a truly creepy Chinese story of a beheaded general whose body did not die. His family took it home and it communicated with them via writing. It even begot a son on the '"widow'". [[Squick]]!!

* Vorpal weapons from ''[[Dungeons and& Dragons]]'' have this as their primary power, activating upon rolling a natural 20 on a D20 and then confirming the crit.

* ''[[Warhammer 4000040,000]]'' has the primarchs [[Night Lords|Konrad Curze]] and (possibly) Ferrus Manus meet their ends this way.

* Subverted in [[Gilbert and Sullivan|Gilbert and Sullivan]]'s]] operaoperetta ''[[The Mikado]]'', wherein {{spoiler|the Lord High Executioner only accepted the post to keep his own head and cannot bring himself to kill anyone else. He claims to have beheaded Nanki-Poo, but produces him alive when it transpires that Nanki-Poo was the heir apparent, and Ko-Ko now faces the Mikado's wrath.}}

* While [[Your Head Asplode]] is common from killing [[Boom! Headshot!|headshots]] with ranged weaponry in ''[[Fallout]] 3'', [[Off with His Head]] is possible with them or melee weapons. Yes, you can shoot people's heads off. Really.

* '''[[Brutal Legend|]]'': '''"DECAPITATIOOOOOOOOONNNNN!"]]'''

* ''[[Dead Head Fred]]''{{'}}s eponymous anti-hero Fred Neuman does this to pretty much ANYONE''anyone'' that angers him. Hell, it's even a major plot AND''and'' gameplay point!

* In the Japanese Playstation versions of ''[[Breath of Fire]] IV]]'', {{spoiler|Fou-lu decapitates the acting emperor Soniel with the very sword Soniel had just tried to run him through with.}} It's not graphically depicted, though, but shown in silhouette.

** In the manga adaptation of ''[[Breath of Fire]] IV]]'', this is actually a particular [[Crowning Moment of Awesome]] for Fou-lu: {{spoiler|instead of using the sword he was stabbed with, [[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|he generates an energy sword and lops Soniel's head clean off WHILE''while STILLstill HAVINGhaving Aa SWORDsword THATthat EATSeats SOULSsouls STICKINGsticking OUTout OFof HIShis MIDSECTIONmidsection'']].}}

* In the "WAR Update" in ''[[Team Fortress 2]],'', the Demoman receives a new weapon called the Eyelander, which decapitates the enemy upon killing them, granting him a boost in Speed and health. It's also haunted continually chants "heads."

* Doing a Perfect Shot in ''[[50 Cent: Bulletproof]]'' will result in this. ''Even with submachine guns''.

* Some creatures in ''[[Resident Evil]]'' could kill you this way. Eg. Hunters, Ivys, Dr. Salvador, and some of the Plagas in ''[[REResident Evil 4]]''.

* In ''[[Dead Space (series)|Dead Space]]'', Issac can get killed this way by a necromorph head and gets his body taken over by it.

* ''[[Legacy of Kain|Blood Omen]]'' features Vorador, the most powerful character in the game, dying via decapitation. His head is later seen as a trophy in Soul Reaver 2. In Blood Omen 2, Kain will preform several decapitating stealth kills.

* ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]'': This is possible with the appropriate perks in the One-handed and Two-handed skill trees.

* A staple side effect of hitting zombies with a cutting or bludgeoning melee weapon (except for the [[Frying Pan of Doom]]) in ''[[Left 4 Dead]] 2]]''.

* ''[[Silent Hill]] [[Silent Hill Homecoming|Homecoming]]'' is big on those, especially with the [[An Axe to Grind|axe]].

* ''[[Postal 2]]'', the sequel to ''[[Postal]]'', allows the player to do this using either thrown knives or a certain silenced pistol.

** In the expansion? Vanilla ''Postal 2'' has decapitation by shovel with some interesting options of what to do with the head afterwards. You can also use a shotgun for [[Your Head Asplode]].

* One of the more common ways to kill a zombie in the ''[[Dead Rising]]'' series.

* The ''[[Aliens vs. Predator]]'' games of course feature plenty of decapitations as trophies and/or delicious snacks. Special mention to the Predator Speargun in ''[[AVPAliens vs. Predator 2]]'' that removes human heads and pins them to the wall. You can then collect the heads to recover the spear and trophy.

* Katanas in the ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]'' games that have them are capable of decapitating, even if the swing animation seems to be a one-handed swat. [[Hilarity Ensues]] in ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas|San Andreas]]'' where there's an Asian gangster on a boat that challenges you to a duel if you then immediately manage to slice his head off with one swing.

* Good aim and proper use of the game's physics mechanics and controls allows the player to decapitate enemies in the third-person adventure game ''[[Die By The Sword]]''.

** Belkar killing the leader of the "beetle men".

* ''[[Dominic Deegan]]''. [[Asshole Victim|Luna's mother]], [https://web.archive.org/web/20160923132750/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2002-08-06 Croona Travoria] ''just after'' saying "[[Famous Last Words|...YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!]]"

** In the "Oracle Hunter" storyline, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140912104412/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2008-02-13 Quilt winds up losing his head] to the villainess of the chapter.

** In the "March on Maltak" arc: After calling out the Doma clan orc leader [httphttps://wwwweb.archive.org/web/20101215090729/http://dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2009-10-06 for the deaths of her father and mother], and for [[Rape by Proxy|forcing Stonewater to either claim her as a mate or kill her]], Melsheena Dernaks faces down him down, and calls him [[Dirty Coward|a pathetic weakling]]. As Melsheena walks away, [httphttps://wwwweb.archive.org/web/20101215090849/http://dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2009-10-08 the Doma chief tries to] [[In the Back|stab her in the back]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20140921195519/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2009-10-09 He never gets the chance], and Melsheena '''''literally''''' knocks the chief's block off. With Stonewater's hammer.

** In the "War In Hell" storyline, a demon responsible for turning Stonewater's friends against him [httphttps://wwwweb.archive.org/web/20101216002826/http://dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2006-02-03 has his head torn off by Lord Karnak]... and [https://web.archive.org/web/20140921071616/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2006-02-11 Lord Karnak tends to make it a habit with other demons], [https://web.archive.org/web/20140912111533/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2006-03-05 and a few demon lords], and more notably, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140912004534/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2006-06-27 Tox'xel].

*** Warlord Damaske, Siegfried's father, [https://web.archive.org/web/20160923132810/http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2006-06-16 met this awful demise] at the hands of the Royal Seer, who was working for Tox'xel. [[Call It Karma|Not surprising]] that [httphttps://wwwweb.archive.org/web/20101216012215/http://dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2006-06-03 Lord Damaske did this as kills].

** In a humorous manner, Runcible Spoon is known to [httphttps://wwwweb.archive.org/web/20101215210647/http://dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2007-02-26 take his own head off] willingly and ''non-fatally''.

* Happens to Candi Levens in ''[[Ciem Webcomic Series|Candi LevensCiem]]'', ''twice'', both times on a block, and with a single ax stroke. {{spoiler|(Though the first time was an illusion.)}} Also happens to all three of her sisters, although Erin was already dead ''beforehand''. Marina meets an identical fate to Candi. Miriam, however, gets the guillotine. Thankfully, {{spoiler|all three die only in the epilogue.}}

** She actually loses her head ''four'' times in the book, with an attempted fifth by her enemies that goes nowhere. At age 12, she is captured and placed on the block, but rescued before the blade drops. The first time she actually lost her head at the age of 20, she was testing out the [[Applied Phlebotinum|Denny pills]] and volunteered to see if they worked. It weirded Denny out that his new love interest was so eager to have her head chopped off. She tests the experiment a second time with him the following day, this time using a guillotine. That too being a success, she begins adding Denny pills to her regular arsenal. They [[ChekovChekhov's Gun|become handy later on]], when she administers one to herself and another to Dolly aboard Arfaas' ship at the age of 21. Alas, she didn't have enough for the several dozen other women who were arrested and executed on the block that same day. But uses the piling up of bodies as a good way to hide herself and Dolly as they pull themselves together. They pull off their revolution successfully. Her third time, at the age of 26, she is stripped of the Denny pills. But an escaped Phexo with powers that work on a similar principle keeps Candi from dying. The fourth time, at age 53, her enemies finally succeed and she is [[Killed Off for Real]].

* In the ''[[Draconia Chronicles]]'' webcomicweb comic, this is how {{spoiler|Gaia}} is killed.

* ''[[Axe Cop]]'' [[Catch Phrase|will chop your head off]]!

* Demonstrated [https://web.archive.org/web/20121019103412/http://www.drunkduck.com/The_KAMics/4806540/ here] &and [https://web.archive.org/web/20121019103434/http://www.drunkduck.com/The_KAMics/4820482/ here] in ''[[The KAMics]]''

* In ''[[Erstwhile]]'', the bride orders this for Maid Maleen. [https://web.archive.org/web/20131004060700/http://www.erstwhiletales.com/maidmaleen-34/#.T2-Bhdm6SuI And gets it herself.]

* It's how {{spoiler|Sonic}} dies by the hands of the Troll King in ''[[Tails Gets Trolled]] ''.

* In ''[[Sinfest]]'', [httphttps://wwwweb.archive.org/web/20140209161736/http://sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=1979 Lil' Evil threatens the angels with it.]

* Out of all things, in ''[[My Little Pony]]'' - the [[Evil Overlord]] Tirac keeps threatening his henchman Scorpan that if he won't get all four ponies he needs, Spike's head will roll.

* In either homage to the comic book example, the Shredder in ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'' gets this treatment after the turtles storm his headquarters {{spoiler|he lives, because it's a robot suit}}.

* Justice does this to Afro's father just five minutes into ''[[Afro Samurai]]''.

* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar|Heavily implied]] to have happened offscreenoff screen to Chef Puree in ''[[Dan Vs.]]'' "The Fancy Restaurant."

** In the "Red" trailer, Ruby Rose utterly demolishes what appears to be about a hundred werewolf-like creaturesbeowolves, many of which she decapitates with her scythe/gun.

* Decapitation was the standard method of execution for murder and other capital crimes in Germanic and Scandinavian countries from the Middle Ages to 20th century. Commoners were traditionally beheaded with an axe, noblemen with a sword. Later, a guillotine was preferred.

** The last beheading in West Germany occurred 1949, when a convicted robber-murderer Berthold Wehmeyer was executed with guillotine. He was also the last person to be executed in West Germany. The last time a guillotine was used in these countries was in 1961 in East Germany.

* Obviously, [[Henry VIII]] of England, who had two of his six wives executed in this fashion. His kids did their fair share as well -- Edwardwell—Edward VI actually had two of his uncles beheaded; Mary I and [[The Virgin Queen|Elizabeth I]] both had one of their cousins beheaded for claiming the throne -- Ladythrone—Lady Jane Grey and [[Mary of Scotland|Mary, Queen of Scots]], respectively. Given it was a major spectacle for the nobility, the fact that it took two or three strikes to get the job done was likely rather embarrassing to the headsman.

** A particularly horrific case was that of the 67-year-old Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury; condemned by Henry VIII, who refused to admit any guilt and would not kneel at the headsman's block -- oneblock—one account says that she leaptleaped from the block after the first clumsy blow and ran, pursued by the executioner, being struck ''eleven'' times before she died.

** One contributing factor was that executioners who were skilled in decapitating people in a single stroke were generally of the upper class in France at that time. In other words, precisely the kind of people the revolution had been against and who were on the receiving end of executions.

** For the morbidly curious, the footage found its way into one those atrocious ''[[Faces of Death]]'' videos and is now available on the internet. It happens so suddenly that nothing can be seen; Vic and the two children are there one moment, the chopper comes down, and in the next moment they've disappeared beneath the wreckage.

* In the 1974 US [[Formula One|Grand Prix]], Austrian Helmuth Koinigg crashed into an armco barrier. The lower beam wasn't properly secured and buckled as the vehicle struck it. The car passed underneath the top portion... which was very firmly bolted on. Yikes.

* Another [[Formula One]] death happened this way. Tom Pryce struck a track marshal who had foolishly run onto the race course to extinguish a minor fire on the other side of the track. Pryce hit the man at full racing speed, the impact ripping him in two. The fire extinguisher the marshal had been carrying entered the cockpit of Pryce's car and struck his helmet, ripping it up and out of the car. The helmet's strap partially decapitated Pryce and his now driverless car careened down the track before hitting another car and coming to a stop. There is footage of the incident on [[YouTube]] and various other video sites, but in the interest of good taste this troper decided not to provide any links.

* Although the stories about decapitated bodies walking on their own may be the stuff of legend, during the guillotine era it was scientifically confirmed that the heads can retain consciousness for several minutes after being removed, as a doctor reportedly was able to communicate with a removed head for several minutes, with the soon-to-be-dead man's eyes actually focusing on him. This was featured in ''[[1000 Ways to Die]]''{{'}}s case "Miss-ur Head" (its alternative title being exactly the same as this trope).

* [httphttps://web.archive.org/web/20191216191716/https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/08/31/2011man-virginia-cable-decapitate-argument-ex-wife-cops-08article-31_man_in_virginia_uses_cable_to_decapitate_self_after_argument_with_exwife_cops1.html946497 Man in Virgina uses cable to decapitate himself.]

* The brutal social/political scandal known in Chile as [[wikipedia:Caso Degollados|"caso degollados"]] ([[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|"case of the slit throats"]]). In 1985, three well-known professionals affiliated with the opposition to [[General Ripper|Pinochet's]] dictatorship (artist Santiago Nattino, teacher's union leader Manuel Guerrero and sociologist/activist Jose Parada -- alsoParada—also the son of a famous stage actor ''and'' father of a then very well-known child actress) were kidnapped by a national police agency, and the day after that their lifeless, torture-marked bodies were found semi-decapitated.

* [http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-cases-life-decapitation.php This Articlearticle] has 10 cases where someone gets decapitation, and act like [[Major Injury Underreaction| nothing happened]] and had enough [[Dying Moment of Awesome| finish one more thing before death]]. Cue the [[Oh Crap| the reactions]] of those watching.

[[Category:StayHead Ahead of This IndexTropes]]

[[Category:Off with His Head{{PAGENAME}}]]