Off with His Head: Difference between revisions

** 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.

"Off with his head!" }}

* This is pretty much the only way to kill a [[Immortality|sen-nin]] in ''[[The Twelve Kingdoms]]''. Brutally proved by {{spoiler|Governor Gekkei}}, who kills {{spoiler|King Chuutatsu of Hou}} this way [[Knight Templar|as punishment for his horrible reign]] ''and'' brings his head to his family. Then, he subjects {{spoiler|Chuutatsu's wife Kekai ''and'' the kirin Hourin}} to the same fate, also as punishment for their own deeds (or inaction). {{spoiler|"Royal Consort! Princess! Say goodbye to your King!"}}, indeed.''

* Near the end of Akira Kurosawa's ''[[Ran]]'', Kurogane decapitates {{spoiler|Lady Kaede}}. Much blood spatter ensues.

* Trevor Nunn bookends his film ''Lady Jane'' with decapitations.

* The death of the reporter Keith Jennings from ''[[The Omen]]'', one of Hollywood's very first onscreen decapitations, when a sheet of glass is launched from a truck in front of him and shears the guy's head off in horrific fashion. It's still considered by horror buffs to be one of the best deaths ever filmed.

* Owen Wilson's character in ''[[The Haunting]]'' (1999) is stunningly decapitated by the giant flue in the fireplace.

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

* In ''[[Clive Barker|TheMidnightMeatTrain]]'', 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).

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

* In [[Lois McMaster Bujold]]'s ''[[Vorkosigan Saga|Barrayar]]'', the heroine not only orders the decapitation of the enemy leader, she brings the head back to her base as evidence. In a ''shopping bag''. The woman has style.

'''''[[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Shopping]].''''' }}

* Somewhat subverted in [[Neal Stephenson]]'s ''[[Snow Crash]]''. While Hiro does actually manage to decapitate someone with his katana, he muses to himself how difficult it is to actually kill someone in this manner, and considers himself lucky that he managed it rather than getting his sword lodged in his victim's vertebrae.

* This is how {{spoiler|Seiko}} dies in ''[[Corpse Party]]: Book of Shadows''. {{spoiler|Ayumi's sister Hinoe also dies this way after pulling a [[Big Damn Heroes]] to save Ayumi and Naomi}}.

* ''[[Umineko no Naku Koro ni]]'': Screw you, {{spoiler|[[Smug Snake|Furudo]] [[Complete Monster|Erika]].}} He's the rationale:

* In version 3, the ''[[Ao Oni]]'' kills {{spoiler|Takuro}} by biting off their head. This also effectively demonstrates to Hiroshi and the others that contrary to their suspicions, the monster is ''very real''.

* [[The Boondocks]]: How {{spoiler|Bushido Brown}} meets his end.

* Happens to Tom at the end of the ''[[Tom and Jerry]]'' short "The Two Mouseketeers."

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

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