Plot-Triggering Death: Difference between revisions

* In case of TV series or long runners with clear continuity, the death must have affected the big picture of the series. For example, the deaths ocurring on every episode of a murder mystery series do not count; but the death of a close one that made the protagonist take the decision to become a detective so he could investigate the mystery behind that murder ''does'' count. Deaths on this kind of works that trigger new mystery arcs also count.

 

 

{{deathtrope}}

 

{{examples}}

* ''[[Code Geass]]'': The murder of Lelouch's mother Marianne is the initial trigger of the series' plot.

* ''[[Gurren Lagann]]''; although not at the start of the plot, the death of Kamina (a quarter of the way in) was the key trigger to the character development of Simon throughout the rest of the series

 

 

 

* ''[[The Big Chill]]'', the reunion of old college friends happens thanks to the suicide of one their friends Alex.

* In a rather roundabout example, Coral's death in ''[[Finding Nemo]]''. Her death happens some years before the actual story, but hadn't it been for that, the plot wouldn't have happened, at least not the way it did.

* Ellie's death in ''[[Up]]''.

** Yet another Pixar example: Leland Turbo from ''[[Cars 2]]''.

* ''[[Ordinary People]]''. In both the film and the novel the death of the family's eldest son in a sailing accident sets into motion the emotional crisis which the family has only outwardly recovered from at the start of the narrative.

 

* Used recurrently in [[Dan Brown]]'s novels.

* In ''[[True Grit]]'' The murder of Mattie Ross's father by Tom Chaney sets in motion the revenge quest that drives the story.

* The death of {{spoiler|King Brion Haldane}} at the start of ''[[Deryni|Deryni Rising]]'', which begins the multi-volume saga of King Kelson Haldane's rule as well as the specific challenges of getting him safely crowned king.

** In the first book, Jon Arryn's death is what causes Eddard Stark (and by extension, the rest of his family) to become involved in the main plot.

** The Iron Islands plot in ''A Feast For Crows'' is triggered by the death of {{spoiler|Balon Greyjoy}}, which happens offscreen during the events of the previous book.

* Henry Archer's death in ''[[Atlanta Nights]]''. Nearly all characters in the book are in some way connected with him.

 

* In the first season of ''[[The Killing]]'', Rosie Larsen's murder is what brings all of the characters into the plot.

* ''[[Veronica Mars]]'' had some seasons begin with the death(s) of important characters to stimulate the season long story arc or A-plot.

* Short lived TV series ''[[Johnny Bago]]''. Johnny Tenuti, just out of prison, is set up on a blind date by his cousin with mob connections. The date kills [[The Don]]'s son, framing Johnny for the crime. Johnny goes on the lam.

** Towards the end of the first episode, the old man in an RV who Johnny hooked up with dies during a fishing tournament, which Johnny takes as a sign that he should take the old man's 'Bago and [[Roam the Earth]].

* ''[[Alias]]'': Sydney tells her fiancé that she is a spy, leading to her boss [[First Episode Spoiler|having him killed]]. When her leave of absence gets a bit too long for her boss's comfort, he [[It Got Worse|sends killers after her too]]. Then she finds out that she works for the bad guys, and that her semi-estranged dad is one of them. Then she earns the bad guys' trust so that she can become a double agent with the CIA. ''Then'' she finds out that her dad has been a double agent all along. Whew. On to episode two.

 

* [[Older Than Steam]]: ''[[Hamlet]]'' begins with the king's death (though the dead man also appears as a ghost).

 

* In ''[[Xenoblade Chronicles]]'', the death of Fiora in the hands of the Mechon in the first moments of the game is what made Shulk and Reyn go ahead and kick Mechon ass [[Roaring Rampage of Revenge|in order to avenge her]]. This later got them involved into something much bigger.

* The death of Gregory Edgeworth could easily be one of these in the ''[[Ace Attorney]]'' games. Basically, it was his death that kick started Miles' ambition to be a lawyer, which started Phoenix's. You could even go further back and say that it was {{spoiler|Isaku Hyodo}}'s death that led to Gregory's, and so on. Gregory's death was also the distant catalyst for Misty Fey's disappearance (which in turn had ''several'' repercussions on the Fey clan, such as {{spoiler|Dahlia and}} Iris's father leaving, Mia's [[Promotion to Parent]], etc, Yanni Yogi's {{spoiler|[[Obfuscating Stupidity]]}}, etcetera.

** In fact, a lot of deaths in this game series have kicked off new arcs and plots (Mia Fey, Magnifi Gramarye etc).

* As the page quote shows the plot of ''[[Eternal Darkness]]'' is set off by the death of the main character's grandfather, which leads Alex to his house and to find the [[Tome of Eldritch Lore|Tome Of Eternal Darkness]] which serves as a framing device for previous characters' struggles in the fight (who might also count as this trope, given they have a tendancy to die [[And I Must Scream|or worse]] at the end of their chapters).

* ''[[Echo Night]]'' begins with Richard learning that his father perished in a house fire. While searching for anything that might be salvaged from the ruins, he discovers a secret passageway to a room containing a strange painting, which drags him back onto the deck of the Orpheus and strands him there.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Death Tropes]]