View source for Sorry That I'm Dying

{{trope}}
{{quote|''I regret to report that I am no longer fit for duty...''|'''[[Mook|A Random Hobgoblin]]''', after being crushed under a boulder, ''[[The Order of the Stick|Order of the Stick]]''}}

Death. This is ([[Death Is Cheap|usu]][[Disney Death|ally]]) the final time this character will ever get to do ''anything''. This gives us such tropes as [[Anguished Declaration of Love]], where a Bob realizes this is the last chance he'll ever get to say, "I love you."

But sometimes Bob doesn't want to announce love, [[Go Out with a Smile|but isn't exactly smiling either]]. He didn't get to do what he wanted to, and he can't be loyal to what he wanted to be, because he can't be ''anything''.

So he apologizes for leaving. Particularly [[Tear Jerker|Tear Jerking]] if it's because of a [[Heroic Sacrifice]], as he's apologizing for not doing more when he just willingly gave his life.

In some ways an inversion of [[How Dare You Die on Me!]], in others, [[I Can Still Fight]].

{{deathtrope}}

{{examples}}
== film ==
* ''[[Buckaroo Banzai]]''. The black Lectroid John Gant is about to destroy his thermopod (and himself) to prevent the red Lectroids from capturing it.
{{quote|'''John Gant:''' My most profuse apologies to my homeland and loved ones...Perhaps John Parker will get through with our message to Buckaroo Banzai.}}
* In ''[[Serenity]]'' Simon, while lying on the ground shot, and thinking he is dying, apologizes to River for ''not protecting her enough''. Gee whiz, I hope the patron saint of big brothers (whoever it is) puts in a good word for him.  {{spoiler|Good thing he gets better.}}


== [[Live Action TV]] ==
* On ''[[Growing Pains]]'' Mike's big acting break (or so he thinks) is when get gets a gig on a [[Police Procedural]] as a cop who gets shot in a shootout, saying something like "I guess I'll never get to [something]." But when it's shown on TV his one line gets cut.
* Season four of ''[[Dexter]]'' gives us a non-verbal variant:  {{spoiler|Agent Frank Lundy, after having rekindled his romance with Deb Morgan, is shot dead a few episodes in. Deb watches him take his last breath.}} Although he says nothing, she describes the look on his face as he's dying as "apologetic."
* ''[[Doctor Who]]'' has a few of these:
**  {{spoiler|Rory's}} last words to Amy after [[Heroic Sacrifice|throwing himself between the Doctor and a laser blast]] are "I'm sorry".
** In the series 6 opener,  {{spoiler|the Doctor}} apologises to his horror-stricken friends just before  {{spoiler|the mysterious astronaut shoots him mid-regeneration, killing him for good.}}


== [[Video Games]] ==
* Near the end of Act 2 of ''[[Infinite Space]]'', after he [[Heroic Sacrifice|fires exalaser cannon to take down the enemy ships those are pursuing Yuri]], Dietrich apologizes to Yuri for not being able to keep his word to him to stay alive.
* In [[Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice|Disgaea 3]], Almaz apologizes to Princess Sapphire that he couldn't keep his promise to not die for her sake, after being pricked with a poisoned needle in a trap aimed at her.
* ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' - After biting off more than he could chew with Riku, Lexaeus's last words are an apology to Zexion (who isn't even present).
{{quote|"Forgive me, Zexion...this was a fight I should not have started."}}


== Webcomics ==
* ''[[The Order of the Stick|Order of the Stick]]'': A random hobgoblin sees a boulder flying in and knocks his commander out of the way. Last words, and possibly two out of his only three lines are:
{{quote|''I regret to report that I am no longer fit for duty...Supreme Leader...''}}


== [[Web Original]] ==
* [[Global Guardians PBEM Universe|Dogfight's]] lasts words before he was crushed in the collapse of the North Tower after the 9-11 attacks was an apology to his son for not being there to watch him grow up. This was part of his son's [[Freudian Excuse]] to become a supervillain.


== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[Liberty's Kids]]'' has an episode that starts off with Nathan Hale (see [[Real Life]]), and the British commanders commenting that they can't let word get out that an American was able to face death so calmly.


== [[Real Life]] ==
* [[wikipedia:Nathan Hale|Nathan Hale]] said, just before being hanged at 21:
{{quote|''I only regret, that I have but one life to lose for my country.''}}
** Actually, he said "It is the duty of any good man to oppose tyrants". A writer at the time said one life to give ''about'' his death.
* [[Satoshi Kon]], after expressing regrets about being unable to finish the movie he was working on at the time, ended his farewell letter with a phrase that is used when somebody leaves work while others have to stay and roughly translates as "Sorry for leaving early".

{{reflist}}
[[Category:Death Tropes]]
[[Category:Last Words]]
[[Category:Sorry That I'm Dying]]