Secretly Dying: Difference between revisions

* In ''[[Darker Than Black]]'' season 1, Huang hides a [[Secret Stab Wound]] to sacrifice themself as a distraction. Also in DTB, November 11 believes Amber's precognition that he's not long for this world, but keeps it to himself.

** Also in ''[[Darker Than Black]]'', Amber spans a [[Batman Gambit]] to detonate the Gate using judicious use of her time manipulation power. The price she pays for using her power is [[Cast From Lifespan]] in reverse, causing her to age backwards. She worked it all out so that she had exactly enough lifespan left to see her plan to fruition, and unmakes herself the last time she uses her power.

* In ''[[One Piece]]'', Hiruluk keeps his fatal illness secret from Chopper. After getting [[Shoo the Dog]], though, Chopper learns the trurh by listening to Hiruluk and Kureha.

* In ''[[Naruto]]'', {{spoiler|Itachi}} had a fatal illness.

* In ''[[Transformers Last Stand of the Wreckers]]'', Ironfist is dying from taking a [[Cranial Processing Unit|cerebro-seeking bullet to the head]] in an "[[Make It Look Like an Accident|accident]]", and having it slowly working its way closer and closer to its target and unable to be stopped. He hides it because he's assigned to what is a dream mission for him and doesn't want to be ruled unfit to serve it.

** {{spoiler|Prowl knew all along that Ironfist was doomed, and sent him on the mission ''because'' of it. The mission required someone to die, and Prowl intended Ironfist to be the sacrificial lamb.}}

 

== [[Film]] ==

* In ''[[Shaun of the Dead]]'', Shaun's Mum doesn't let anyone see their zombie bite to avoid worrying anyone. This leads to the movie's biggest [[Tear Jerker]] when Shaun has to kill her when she turns.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* In ''[[Chalion|The Curse Of Chalion]]'', Cazaril has a supernatural tumor in his gut haunted by the ghost of the [[Complete Monster]] he killed with magic. He tries desperately to keep it under wraps, both for political reasons and so the girls he's trying to protect won't worry about him.

* In ''[[The Dogs of War]]'', {{spoiler|Mercenary leader "Cat" Shannon}} has been diagnosed with cancer.

* In ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' book ''Death Masks'', {{spoiler|Shiro}} exchanges himself to almost certain death for Harry. Harry learns via a letter that was arranged beforehand that his benefactor was already dying from cancer.

 

== [[Live Action TV]] ==

* Professor Arturo on ''[[Sliders]]'' had an incurable disease which will kill him in a number of months, but didn't want anyone to know.

* President Laura Roslin spends most of the first season of ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'' hiding the fact that she has terminal breast cancer from the fleet at large. Then, after the news broke, and a miracle cured her, it came out at Baltar's trial that she was hiding a relapse.

* During the early part of season 7 of [[The X-Files]], Mulder is hospitalized for unusual brain activity. At the end of the three-episode arc, it's implied he made a full recovery. In reality, he did not and is dying from an "undiagnosable condition." He hides it from everyone, including the audience. It's not until he goes missing in season 8 that anyone finds out. And how do Scully and Skinner find out? Doggett has the manhunt team bring in his ''family headstone'' from North Carolina, which Mulder had recently changed to include his own name, birthyear, and anticipated year of death.

** Given how hard it was for him to deal with Scully's illness and its terminal diagnosis back in season 4-5, it's no surprise he wanted to spare her that suffering.

* [[Word of God]] says this is why {{spoiler|Inara}} joined Serenity.

 

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* Shinjiro Aragaki in ''[[Persona 3]]'' is slowly killing himself with power-inhibiting drugs. He refrains from mentioning his poor health to anyone, mostly because he's expecting one of two ''other'' things to kill him before the side effects of the drugs manage to do it, and because he thinks he deserves it. Even when it comes out that he was taking the suppressants, he waves off any concerns about the side effects, and only comes close to hinting how little time he has to the female protagonist in the last few stages of his Social Link.

** Also the Protagonist themselves go through this in [[Multiple Endings|the good ending]]. After perfoming a [[Heroic Sacrifice]], s/he is just living to meet up with everyone on graduation day, like they promised. However, everyone in SEES has [[Victory-Guided Amnesia|forgotten about what they've accomplished]], even if they haven't forgotten about you. Only one person remembers and she makes sure that you won't [[Dying Alone|die alone]]. Unless you're playing ''Portable'' with a [[New Game+]], then your preferred [[Love Interest]] can spend your last few seconds with you.

* Hanbe from ''[[Sengoku Basara]]'' hides his [[Incurable Cough of Death|tuberculosis]] from Hideyoshi and Mitsunari, who know he's ill, just not that it's terminal. If they were aware they'd probably either lose hope and abandon the conquest of Japan, or force him to stop being [[The Strategist]].

 

== [[Real Life]] ==