You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Difference between revisions

{{trope}}

 

 

To [[Kick the Dog|show or remind the viewer how nasty]] the [[Big Bad]] or his [[Evil Minions]] are, a common trope is their habit of callously disposing of anyone who is no longer useful to their plans, whether it be an associate of an evil organization who has just concluded their useful function in the organization, or an outsider who the villain has coerced or tricked into carrying out part of their plan and is killed when the outsider has done what the villain has ordered.

It is often punctuated with words to the effect of "You have outlived your usefulness" or "you have served your purpose" before the murder.

 

 

If the [[Big Bad]] is also particularly annoyed by how his [[Evil Minions]] have functioned in their role, he may use [[The Blofeld Ploy]].

A variant of this trope is common when a villain who has enlisted the help of the oblivious heroes reveals his true villainy, the comment usually following [[Just Between You and Me|his gloating of how they played right into his hands]]. Warning to any [[Genre Savvy]] villains out there: This version of the trope has a noticeably lower success rate, and trying it on [[The Hero]] is tantamount to suicide.

 

 

{{deathtrope}}

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* In ''[[.hack//Sign|.hack Sign]]'': Morganna attacks Tsukasa after Tsukasa brings Subaru to the hidden area where Aura was held. This too used an alternate phrase, "I don't need you anymore."

* Although no special line is used, this is the reason Captain Kuro tries to kill his entire crew in ''[[One Piece]]'': he no longer needs them, and can't allow anyone who knows his [[Secret Identity|true identity]] to live.

** This also happened to Nico Robin when she was Miss All-Sunday, [[The Dragon]] for Baroque Works. Might be [[subverted]], since she never intended to give her boss, Crocodile, the information he wanted anyway.

* In ''[[Zatch Bell]]'', Gash's evil twin Zeon hires a demon named Baltro to kidnap Kiyomaro's father and lure Gash into a battle. When Baltro and his partner fail to burn Gash's book, Zeon promptly burns Baltro's, stating that all losers in battles must return to the demon world and that those are the rules.

* ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' uses this quite often, mainly with Babidi, Frieza, and even Vegeta.

* The homunculi from ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist (manga)|Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' are prolific perpetrators of this trope.

** In one of the translations, Lust actually says this line to-a-T to Cornello in the first volume of the manga... Right before she impales his head with her ultimate spear.

** {{spoiler|Then, as a subversion, his "allies" do it to HIM. They get away with it too, sort of.}}

** At the beginning of R2 {{spoiler|Lelouch is stripped of his memories and used in a plan to lure out C.C., so when the Britannian soldiers find C.C., they plan to kill Lelouch since he's fulfilled his purpose}}.

* This is common with [[Complete Monster|Szilard]] from ''[[Baccano!]]'', who considers anybody to be disposable including hommunculi created from his own cells, to misfit gangsters given an incomplete immortality serum JUST to ensure they are easy to dispose of- if you think that's a contradiction, you need to watch the show.

** [[French Jerk|Huey]] also views the Lemeurs, including his own doting daughter as this.

* In ''[[Death Note]]'', this is is the fate of almost everyone used by [[Villain Protagonist|Light Yagami]], even if they are close to him, so that he can safely cover his tracks after they had served their purpose. Also the fate of many pawns that served under [[The Mafia]] group of Mello, especially when they were trying to get the titular [[Artifact of Doom]]. Surprisingly, the last use of the trope in the story wasn't done by either of those two but by {{spoiler|Ryuk on Light himself because Light had been permanently stopped from killing -- reminding us that, despite his personality as a lovable goof, Ryuk is still a [[Shinigami]] to the core}}.

* In the first season of ''[[Slayers]]'', Eris created a copy of Rezo after the real one died. She blames the original's death on Lina and her friends and tries to kill them by unlocking "Rezo's Legacy". Eris released the power of Zanifar, which is absorbed into Copy Rezo. No sooner after this, Copy Rezo kills Eris because she no longer serves a purpose for him.

** {{spoiler|And then he did the exact same thing with Fate and Negi, after Fate had decided to stop fighting Negi.}}

* In ''[[Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]]'', {{spoiler|Okonogi gives Takano this Treatment near the end of Matsubayashi-hen after it becomes clear her plans to Trigger Protocol 34 have been completely foiled. Complete with a [[Hannibal Lecture]] about how Tokyo never really cared about her research and was only using her a pawn. He than hands her a gun with a single bullet and tells her to blow her brains out. And if not for the intervention of Hanyuu that is what she most likely would have done. It is safe to assume that she does not fare better in the other worlds either.}}

*** Not as extreme an example, but in Pokemon: The First Movie, Mewtwo has put the local Nurse Joy under [[Brainwashed|mind control]] to act as a sort of greeter to the people he has lured onto New Island, and upon revealing himself and sending one of the guests who tried to attack him flying through the room, he tells Nurse Joy her usefulness has ended and lifts her from the mind control. Granted, Mewtwo was more of an [[Affably Evil]] Pokemon than a [[Bad Boss]], but this is still an example.

* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's]]'': The Three Emperors of Yliaster do this to Jeager and Team Catastrophe.

* ''[[Digimon Adventure]]'': Upon his rebirth, Venom Myotismon promptly devours Demidevimon, his sole remaining loyal minion. He also does this quite famously to Arukenimon in [[Digimon Adventure 02]].

** This trope is actually pretty common for Digimon villains.

** Mag Mel, the [[Big Bad]] after Barodius, outright told his [[Co-Dragons]] when he created them that the moment they were no longer of use to him, their lives would end. {{spoiler|When Mistress Sellon actually does outlive her usefulness, he promptly kills her in an absolutely chilling way as she's pleading for him to spare her, then [[Devour the Dragon|eats her energy to fuel himself]]. He then does the exact same thing to Anubias in the next episode.}}

* Subverted in ''[[Macross Frontier]]''. Various baddies attempt to do so a couple of times, but [[Failure Is the Only Option|it always fails]].

* Junior from ''[[Secret Six]]'' offers a $20 million bounty for the ultimate get out of [[Fire and Brimstone Hell|jail]] free card (as well as the heads of the people hiding it). Junior's henchmen were shocked at the amount:

{{quote|'''Junior''': Money is nothing. Card is only thing that matters. Plus, will kill whoever brings it to me. Substantial savings.}}

* In the comic of ''[[The Incredibles]]'', this is what happens to Underminer when he objects to Xerek using him and the Incredibles-decorated mecha as a punching bag in a large scheme to discredit the supers.

* An unusual example comes from the twisted relationship between [[Star Wars|Dark Jedi]] Asajj Ventress and the [[Complete Monster|warlord Osika Kirske]] who [[You Killed My Father|killed her parents and her Jedi Master]]. After becoming a powerful dark sider and conquering her war-torn planet, she killed most of the warlords but spared Kirske and locked him in the deepest part of her dungeons. When Obi-Wan and the ARC trooper Alpha escaped the prison, they encountered Kirske, who accompanied them and explained his relationship to Asajj. He added that the most likely reason that he was alive was that Ventress needed an archnemesis, otherwise [[Can't Kill You - Still Need You|she would have no one to hate]]. Unfortunately for Kirske, Obi-Wan had messed with Ventress enough by this point that he seemed to have taken Kirske's place as most hated enemy, and when the trio encountered her she beheaded the warlord without a second thought.

'''Darkhell''': You should have listened the warrior Shaki... I have no allies. Just tools I throw out when they are useless. }}

 

* Backfires in ''[[Rango]]'' when {{spoiler|the mayor attempts to dispose of Rattlesnake Jake}}

* In ''[[Despicable Me]]'', a downplayed version occurs where Gru was originally going to leave the girls at an amusement park after {{spoiler|they unknowingly helped him steal the Shrink Ray from Vector. After enjoying the day with them, he decides to change his mind.}}

* In ''[[Superman II]]'', Lex Luthor aids the bad guys by giving them information on Superman. Being the epitome of people who are so powerful they wouldn't need his help, they threaten to kill him multiple times when he's outlived his usefulness, which Lex only manages to avert by revealing something new. Eventually, he manages to help them so many times that they finally reward him with what he wants - only, by this time, {{spoiler|he's proven to be such a [[Reliable Traitor]] that Superman turns it around into a [[Batman Gambit]]}}.

* The villains of ''[[Live Free or Die Hard]]'' are quite fond of this trope. They execute just about everyone they have contact with once they're through with them.

** On a related note, in the 1989 ''[[Batman (film)|Batman]]'', the Joker responds to his own failure by requesting a handgun from his most loyal psycho-henchman Bob, only to shoot Bob point-blank for no reason at all.

*** Well really, why didn't Bob tell him Batman had one of those... things?

** Though in the [[Syfy]] sequel it turned out he was cursed and became undead.

* In ''[[Angels & Demons]]'', [[The Dragon]] is ''retired with prejudice'' after having dealt with {{spoiler|or tried to kill, in the fourth case anyway}} the four cardinals. This is especially conspicuous after it was revealed his client institution was a long-term repeat customer.

* In the 2nd [[Sherlock Holmes (film)|Sherlock Holmes]] movie, {{spoiler|Irene Adler}} is quickly killed off because of this.

* In ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (film)|Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'', Ivan Ooze commands the brainwashed citizens of Angel Grove to return to the construction site he was freed from and leap off the tall cliff there after construction of his Ecto-Morphicon Titans is done. It's implied he did this to the last group of people to do the same when the machines were built. It's subverted, though, since the kids of Angel Grove are able to hold them back long enough for the Rangers to defeat Ooze and break the trance.

 

== [[Literature]] ==

* ''[[Harry Potter]] and the Deathly Hallows'': Voldemort kills {{spoiler|Snape }} because he believed that {{spoiler|Snape needed to die at his hand in order to gain control of the Elder Wand}}. Ironically, Voldemort failed to notice the slightly greater crime of {{spoiler|continually betraying him for the last eighteen years}}.

** He also kills Bertha Jorkins in the fourth book because she is of no use to him anymore.

*** That one is less 'You've out lived your usefulness' and more 'you're there.'

* In ''[[Dune]]'', Baron Vladimir Harkonnen [[I Have Your Wife|has Yueh's wife kidnapped]] to coerce him into betraying the house of Atreides, then [[Released to Elsewhere|"frees" his wife]] and [[Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves|"reunites" him with her]], because "he [[I Gave My Word|always keeps his promises]]". (However, Yueh had [[Gambit Pileup|already guessed the Baron's intentions and planned a posthumous revenge]].)

* In a particularly cruel example, Raistlin Majere does this to {{spoiler|Crysania}} near the end of ''[[Dragonlance]] Legends'', telling {{spoiler|her}}, "Farewell, {{spoiler|Revered Daughter}}. I need you no longer."

* ''[[O Henri]]'': "Boulivard cannot carry two."

* The planet Despayre in the ''[[Star Wars]]'' [[Expanded Universe]], as depicted in the novel "Death Star", and before that, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSSNonaBw-8#t=2m45s the game "X-Wing"]. (scroll to 2:45)

* The {{spoiler|octospiders}} in <s>Gentry Lee</s> [[Arthur C. Clarke]]'s sequels to ''[[Rendezvous With Rama]]'' are ''good'' guys who do this. To themselves, voluntarily.

* In the [[Dale Brown]] novel ''Warrior Class'', [[Big Bad]] Pavel Kazakov threatens this some times and eventually goes through with it.

** In ''Edge of Battle'' Comandante Veracruz tries to do this to {{spoiler|Zakharov, prompting an [[Enemy Mine]].}}

* Zandramas, the [[Big Bad]] of ''[[The Belgariad|The Malloreon]]'', does this approximately fifty times in five books. Had to catch a ship? Sink it as soon as you're off. Don't need an escort any more? Break their legs and leave them for the lions. While Zandramas had [[Complete Monster|a lot of bad habits]], this was the one she indulged in most often.

* ''[[In Death]]'': When there's a partnership of two bad guys, you can be reasonably sure one of them will kill the other and state this trope.

* In ''Blonde Genius'' by [[J. T. Edson]], cat burglar Gus Saunders is ejected from a plane without a parachute when after he has served [[The Syndicate]]'s purpose by robbing Bekinsop's Academy.

 

* In the ''[[True Blood]]'' episode "Release Me", [[Bitch in Sheep's Clothing|Maryann]] has her servant {{spoiler|Daphne}} put to death with a ritual dagger after thanking her for her efforts and service.

* In ''[[Smallville]]'': {{spoiler|Jor-El's disposal of Kara}} after Clark discovers {{spoiler|she is not actually Kryptonian.}} Instead of the normal phrase, {{spoiler|he}} uses {{spoiler|"She served her purpose."}}

* The same style is used in ''[[24]]'', especially when it comes to civilians they kidnap that have a useful skill they can exploit. It ''always'' ends badly for the poor civilians.

* In an episode of ''[[The Persuaders]]!'', Tony Curtis' character manages to [[Heel Face Turn|recruit]] an actor impersonating a dead millionaire by warning him of what might happen when his employers don't need to hide the millionaire's death anymore.

* The Sheriff of Nottingham, in the new [[BBC]] series of ''[[Robin Hood (TV series)|Robin Hood]]'', does this a lot.

** In "The End of Time", the [[Big Bad]] tells the Master that the moment his plan is complete, the Master will be killed. [[Third-Act Stupidity|Unfortunately,]] he says so before the plan is anything like complete, and ends up on the receiving end of a [[Taking You with Me]].

* Used in an episode of ''[[CSI]]''. Three people work together rob a casino. One is killed by his partners at the scene. Another is killed sometime later. {{spoiler|The third one gets killed too, but not because of this trope.}}

* Narrowly averted in ''[[Heroes (TV series)|Heroes]]'': {{spoiler|Arthur Petrelli}} says "I think you may have outlived your usefulness" to Linderman, who's savvy enough to take the hint and stop slacking. (Oh, and {{spoiler|betray Arthur by breaking his mind-control on Angela}}.)

* A woman kidnaps geniuses on ''[[Fringe]]'' so she can get them to finish a formula. At the end, she gives the formula to a mysterious henchman, who tests it. The test successful, she has just enough time to stare in awe and exclaim it's amazing before the henchman pulls a gun and shoots her.

* In ''[[The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'', Terminators typically dispose of human subordinates this way once their objectives are completed, usually to prevent them from talking about sensitive information. At one point, Cameron uses a man and his sister to find information on the Turk, on the promise that she would help them deal with [[The Mafiya]] goons out to kill him. However, once she has the information she abandons them to be killed, since they serve no further purpose to her, and she doesn't have anything else invested in their survival.

* {{spoiler|Ronnie's}} final fate in ''[[The Shield]]''.

{{quote|'''Belzen:''' This is ''exactly'' what you said we wouldn't do. Even if we succeed, is this really worth the lives and planes what it'd cost?

'''Cain:''' Mr. Belzen, are you refusing to carry out my orders?

'''Belzen:''' Sir, I cannot in good conscience obey that.

'''Cain:''' Colonel Fisk... Colonel FISK! ''(Fisk steps up)'' [[You Are in Command Now|You are now my XO.]] }}

* In an episode of ''[[The Legend Of William Tell]]'', a summoned demon overhears two mooks discussing that the sorcerer will unsummon it when it has served its purpose. It's not happy about that. After the heroes have escaped, they discuss with the [[Big Good]] that they were lucky that the demon betrayed its master... at which point {{spoiler|the [[Big Good]] polymorphs into a Mook before their eyes for a second}}.

* In ''[[The Outer Limits]]'' episode "Last Supper", a [[Mad Scientist]] is on the trail of an immortal woman he wants to experiment on. When his assistant manages to find her, the scientist stabs him in the chest.

* In Season 3 of ''[[Warehouse 13]]'', this trope is why even ''thinking'' of siding with [[Complete Monster|Walter Sykes]] is a very bad idea.

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

* ''[[Cardfight Vanguard]]'' has multiple clans that use this as part of their play style, to tie back to the card lore. The Tachikaze, Shadow Paladin, Great Nature and Gold Paladin clans all use the trope as a mechanic, but each clan does it at a different point in your turn, and in Tachikaze's case you can ''revive'' the units [[There Is No Kill Like Overkill|just to kill them again.]]

* Can happen in ''Shadowrun'' due to the nature of the players' work (performing dirty, deniable jobs for mega-corp agents known collectively as 'Mr. Johnson'). Most Johnsons refrain from tying up loose ends by killing the runners they hire because it's bad for future business to get a reputation for not being true to the deal. Mr. Js with hot heads, personal dirty laundry involved or just ignorant of the code of conduct in the shadows still sometimes try it. The Runner's Handbook splatbook notes that while a Johnson may screw himself out of future deals by wasting a couple runners, it's not really much of a comfort to the poor sods he killed now is it?

== [[Theatre]] ==

* In ''[[Little Shop of Horrors]]'', [[Man-Eating Plant|Au]][[Big Bad|dr]][[Complete Monster|ey II]] has no qualms about eating Seymor after his plans get enough momentum to go on without him.

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

* {{spoiler|Commander Sith}} does this to {{spoiler|Yomiel}} towards the end of ''[[Ghost Trick]]''. {{spoiler|He didn't want Yomiel's services, just the Temsik Meteorite that gave him the ghost trick powers. Since he couldn't kill someone who was already dead, he simply removed the meteorite fragment from Yomiel's body and sunk the submarine, leaving Yomiel trapped at the bottom of the ocean with no way to escape by possessing another body or using the phone lines.}}

* Happens in ''[[Super Robot Wars]]: Original Generation Gaiden'', worded just this way by [[Super Robot Wars Reversal|Duminuss]]. And when you beat her, the ''real'' [[Big Bad]], Dark Brain, comes out, says the same thing, and offs ''her''.

** Sarah herself gives this treatment to two entire ''armies'' in ''Starcraft: Brood War''.

** In Starcraft II, {{spoiler|a peek into a possible [[Bad Future]] shows the [[Eldritch Abomination|Dark]] [[Bigger Bad|Voice]] and his Hybrids pulling this on the Zerg, exterminating them as soon as he was done using them to annihilate the Terrans and Protoss.}}

* ''[[Thief]]: The Dark Project'': {{spoiler|Garrett}} almost falls victim to this after {{spoiler|delivering the Eye to Constantine, who puts out one of his eyes and leaves him for dead, trapped in a thicket of flesh-eating plants. Garrett is rescued by the Keepers.}}

* In ''[[Shadow Hearts]]'', Kato's commanding officer and love interest is gunned down by Japanese soldiers when she ceases to be any use to the army high command... as Kato helplessly watches. {{spoiler|This starts the chain of events that turns him into the final [[Big Bad]] of ''Covenant''.}}

* General Leo and Emperor Gestahl are offed by Kefka on two separate occasions in ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]''. Shadow almost gets this treatment as well, but he survives and is discovered by the party when they arrive at the Floating Continent, earning them a powerful ally.

* At the end of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask|The Legend of Zelda Majoras Mask]],'' the eponymous mask does this to the Skull Kid, whom it had been using as a host for most of the game. {{spoiler|But he gets better at the end.}}

* In [[Metal Gear Solid]], Liquid Snake says this to Solid Snake word for word when Snake finally (unknownly) activates Metal Gear Rex. Then he tries to gas him.

** Coldman was implied to have intended to kill off the Peace Sentinels with the Peace Walker project's completion, especially if it succeeded, as soon as it was done. Zadornov himself nearly did this onto Big Boss, and in fact, had the MSF and FSLN not stormed the room and captured Zadornov, he pretty much would have done this.

* In ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'': Following {{spoiler|Sora's [[Heroic Sacrifice]]}}, the game's [[Big Bad]], {{spoiler|Ansem, appears out of nowhere and is about to pull this one on Kairi, but Riku holds him back long enough to let her escape with the others}}.

** Rather similarly, in ''Kingdom Hearts II'' it's DiZ who orders the 'disposal' of Namine after she completes her assigned task; an order he probably wouldn't give if she [[Moral Myopia|wasn't a Nobody]]. Sora's own usefulness to the Organization's [[Xanatos Gambit]] eventually expires as well, which goes about as well as you'd expect.

** In Birth By Sleep Aqua is in the same boat. Her role in the [[Xanatos Gambit]] is basically to just succeed at the Master exam while Terra doesn't to make him feel inferior and rush off half cocked. This happens in the first 10 minutes of the plot {{spoiler|and the rest of her story arc is basically the [[Big Bad]] sending her into danger and later sending his Dragon to personally finish her off. But she's made Master rank for a reason and refuses to die. Eventually she winds up screwing the whole Gambit just by being an extra person who wasn't expected to be around for the final stages}}.

* In ''[[Baten Kaitos]]'', Kalas {{spoiler|says to the Guardian Spirit (the player) "I don't need you any more!" and forcefully ejects the player out of the game, leaving the screen to fade to black.}}

* [[Big Bad|Imperator Ix]], during the events of ''[[Sonic Chronicles]]'', promptly blows Shade off Angel Island for questioning his motives after Sonic and his team rough him up. After he jacks the Master Emerald and sends Angel Island plummeting into Metropolis, Shade [[Heel Face Turn|allies with Sonic and company]] [[The Atoner|to abort his scheme]].

** {{spoiler|Shepherd doesn't care much for Shadow Company either- after Soap and Price breach SC's command base, Shepherd blows the whole place up.}}

* In any game where you can [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|kill allies and recieve any upgrades they might have]] often prompts [[What the Hell, Player?|many players to basically use this trope themselves]]. Take, for example, the original ''[[Half Life]]''. Guards can help you out by being a second gun and shooting enemies...but once you come to an inevitable airduct where they can't follow, well...it's a shame to just leave that ammo behind...

* ''[[Alpha Protocol]]''. The main character is recruited by Alpha Protocol and sent to Saudi Arabia to recover missiles stolen from Halbech by a terrorist leader, and kill said terrorist leader. {{spoiler|It turns out that Halbech really ''sold'' those missiles to the terrorist, and have sent you in to kill him since he's outlived his usefulness... And once you've done so they try to do the same to you, since ''you've'' outlived your usefulness and [[He Knows Too Much|know too much]].}}

* In ''[[Rosenkreuzstilette]]'', {{spoiler|Iris destroys her own father with a Blitzstrahl attack from behind him after he is defeated by the player's character (Spiritia or Grolla, to be precise) because he wasn't useful in her plans anymore}}.

* In ''[[Dark Souls]]'' Lautrec does this to Anastacia of Astora, the Firelink Shrine Firekeeper, killing her and stealing her soul. Keep in mind she hasn't outlived her usefulness to you when he does this. Kingseeker Frampt says this of the remaining Lord Soul owners. You can also do this to almost every friendly NPC you meet.

 

* Most of the villans of ''[[Fate/stay night]]'' are of the manipulator kind and are really fond of this trope. {{spoiler|Kotomine}} tries pulling it on the protagonist and Saber in Fate after {{spoiler|he fails to tempt them with the Grail}} (fails because Lancer interferes), and {{spoiler|Rin}} in Unlimited Blade Works (fails because Lancer interferes) -- {{spoiler|followed by pulling it on Lancer himself by ordering him to kill himself (succeeds, but Lancer [[Taking You with Me|takes him down with him]])}}. In Heaven's Feel, {{spoiler|Zouken}} takes over the [[Big Bad]]-ship and ends up trying to pull this trope on {{spoiler|Sakura}} and fails.

 

== [[Web Comic]] ==

*** When he tells Xykon that {{spoiler|he killed Tsukiko for being [[The Starscream]]}}, Xykon's response is basically "been there, done that, didn't really need her" (combined with some face saving).

* ''[[Sequential Art (webcomic)|Sequential Art]]'':

* In an amusing moment of [[Genre Savvy]] ([[Genius Ditz|for him]]), Otacon from ''[[The Last Days of Foxhound]]'' uses Sniper Wolf as an intermediary to tell Liquid that he's finished modifying Metal Gear to fire nukes, stating that he suspects Liquid will adhere to this trope and kill him the moment he finds out. [[Foregone Conclusion|Obviously]], it doesn't happen.

* In ''[[Everyday Heroes]]'', Wrecking Paul is {{spoiler|a serial killer preying on women, as well as}} a thief. When faced with Mr. Mighty {{spoiler|instead of the female hero he was expecting}}, he [[Moral Event Horizon|turns on his accomplice]]. {{spoiler|Apparently he goes through a lot of them.}}

** {{spoiler|And she recently made good on it, though Syphile attacked ''her'' first rather than the other way around.}}

* Black Mage from ''[[8-Bit Theater|Eight Bit Theater]]'' was always a fan of Chaos and made [[Card-Carrying Villain|no attempts to hide it]]. {{spoiler|Once Chaos himself shows up, he makes it clear that he intends to slaughter BM as well as everything else.}}

* In [[Mitadake Saga]], Keiichi {{spoiler|kills both Kazu and Yuki after they've finished all the testing of the Death Note and are unable to provide him with names respectively}}

* In ''[[The B-Movie Comic|The B Movie Comic]]'', The Dr. Claw-style unseen villain [http://www.bmoviecomic.com/index.php?cid=469 rewards] one of his mooks.

 

== [[Web Original]] ==

* Played with in [[Stupid Mario Brothers]]. {{spoiler|After Shadow Mario fulfilled his usefulness to Mr. L, he died, but not at the hands of Mr. L...}}

* Douglas Hyland and Julian Hunter in ''[[Splinter Cell Extinction]]''. {{spoiler|The latter [[Unexplained Recovery|gets better]].}}

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

* White Knight, a good guy (relatively), in the series ''[[Generator Rex]]'' implies to Agent Six that he will do this to Rex if the teenager refuses to obey orders.

* Subverted in the pilot episode "The Terrible Secret of Turtle Bay" of ''[[The Venture Bros]]''. The [[Big Bad]] is getting some acupuncture when his [[Mook]] comes in and tells him that Doctor Venture is unveiling a new invention. Having received this information, the [[Big Bad]] grabs some acupuncture needles out of his body and throws them at the mook, seemingly killing him. As the [[Big Bad]] is reading the newspaper article about Doctor Venture, the mook speaks up and the [[Big Bad]] looks up from the paper to see the mook thanking him for curing his shoulder pain and also his smoking habit.

* Megatron does this to Starscream in the finale of ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' soon after his [[Batman Gambit]] of having Omega Supreme's control codes uploaded into the [[Undying Loyalty|fanatically-loyal]] Lugnut (after he punched Starscream when the [[Reliable Traitor|latter tried to take the codes for himself]]) succeeds.

** Another factor that adds to this trope is after Lugnut gets the codes, Starscream points out that the Omega Supreme clones are useless without his Allspark fragment. Megatron responds that he already retrived some Allspark fragments from inside the original Omega Supreme.

* In ''[[Superman: The Animated Series]]'', Bruce Wayne narrowly avoids this trope with Braniac thanks to [[Makes Sense in Context|Superman disguised as Batman]]. Bruno Mannheim didn't turn out so lucky with Darkseid.

* NOS-4-A2 in an episode of ''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]'' makes it very clear that he's going to dispose of XL after he's no longer needed for his plan of conquering the galaxy. He even says these exact words to XL after he says he killed both Buzz Lightyear and XR. Unfortunately for NOS-4-A2, XL had a [[Heel Face Turn]] and was lying about killing the space rangers.

'''Buzz Lightyear:''' ''For evil, maybe. But not for good!'' }}

* In the 1992 ''[[X-Men (animation)|X-Men]]'' cartoon, Zaladane says exactly this to Sauron in the episode "Savage Land, Strange Heart Part 2." It doesn't work out well for her.

* Chris McLean says this word-for-word Owen in the fourth season of [[Total Drama Island]], when the latter asks why he and the cast of the first three seasons aren't competing this time. Then Chris has him blown up.

 

== [[Real Life]] ==

* When France surrendered in [[World War II]], the British Navy attacked and destroyed their fleet at Mers El-Kebir in order to prevent it being used against the UK, killing 1,297 French sailors.

* [[Canadian Politics|Canadian Prime Minister]] Stephen Harper is legendary for this tactic.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Death Tropes]]

[[Category:Evil Tropes]]

[[Category:Stock Phrases]]

[[Category:This Index Is Useless]]

[[Category:Villains]]