Tropescilloscope: Sacrificial Lion

Significant character is killed to show that death really is a threat. (read more at tvtropes.org)

More Tropes Zombie Stories Blonde, Brunette, Redhead Translation Convention Put on a Bus Mistaken for Gay Your Head A-Splode Catapult Nightmare Pretty Little Headshots Gilligan Cut Real Life Cool Old Guy Index of Film Westerns Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping Anachronism Stew Recycled IN SPACE! Overprotective Dad Death Seeker Guile Hero Credits Gag The Chessmaster Killed Mid-Sentence Armor-Piercing Question Fat Bastard Domestic Abuse Important Haircut Epic Fail Punch-Clock Villain Driven to Suicide Historical-Domain Character The Place No-Holds-Barred Beatdown Bland-Name Product Sci-Fi Horror Bloodless Carnage The Stoner As Himself Stalker with a Crush Show Within a Show Roaring Rampage of Revenge Leave the Camera Running Slashed Throat Empathic Environment Romantic Comedy Alpha Bitch Depraved Bisexual Foil Italian Films Badass in a Nice Suit Awesome, but Impractical Rewatch Bonus Attempted Rape Jerk Jock Biopic Bloodier and Gorier Cool Car Fanservice Tagline Unspoken Plan Guarantee Casting Gag Conspicuous CG Crazy-Prepared Reality Is Unrealistic Kill 'em All Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique Implacable Man Groin Attack Ambiguously Gay Twist Ending Catch-Phrase Have a Gay Old Time Batman Gambit Hero of Another Story Nice Hat Ungrateful Bastard Department of Redundancy Department Never Trust a Trailer aka: Trailers Always Lie Camp Gay Greater-Scope Villain Chiaroscuro The Cameo Fun with Acronyms German Films Made of Explodium Demoted to Extra Disguised in Drag Sir Swears-a-Lot Blood Knight Take That! Red Herring Bad "Bad Acting" Victoria's Secret Compartment Super Strength Funny Foreigner Australian Movies Establishing Character Moment Insistent Terminology Adaptational Attractiveness Gory Discretion Shot Bullying a Dragon Smoking Is Cool No OSHA Compliance Adaptation Dye-Job The Smart Guy Chekhov's Skill In Medias Res Grey and Gray Morality Neck Snap Unresolved Sexual Tension The Ditz Film Noir Why Did It Have to Be Snakes? No Celebrities Were Harmed Chewing the Scenery Cold-Blooded Torture Informed Ability Worthy Opponent Accidental Misnaming Race Against the Clock Market-Based Title Revenge There Is No Kill Like Overkill Artistic License – Military Fanservice Extra Creative Closing Credits Hell Is That Noise Spanner in the Works My God, What Have I Done? Big Fancy House Dirty Cop Auto Erotica Insult Backfire Only a Flesh Wound Token Minority Beard of Evil folderlabel Break the Haughty Deconstruction The Power of Love Tap on the Head Stealth Hi/Bye Composite Character The Hero Dies Hoist by His Own Petard Bond Villain Stupidity An Axe to Grind Dirty Old Man The Great Depression Not Quite Dead Crazy Jealous Guy Sports Stories Artistic License – History Card-Carrying Villain Famous Last Words Our Zombies Are Different Author Appeal Gold Digger Reasonable Authority Figure The Mole Car Fu Mr. Fanservice Becoming the Mask The Load Star-Crossed Lovers Red Right Hand Men Are the Expendable Gender Ms. Fanservice In Name Only Bond One-Liner Well-Intentioned Extremist Covers Always Lie No Antagonist Shirtless Scene Non-Indicative Name The Stoic Parental Substitute The Hero Leaning on the Fourth Wall Not Using the "Z" Word Evil-Detecting Dog Genre Throwback Same Language Dub NO INDOOR VOICE The Remake Intrepid Reporter Mama Bear Stepford Smiler Bring My Brown Pants Chekhov's Gunman Naked People Are Funny Rated M for Manly Country Matters Training Montage Off with His Head! Celebrity Paradox Chase Scene May–December Romance Very Loosely Based on a True Story Historical In-Joke An Aesop The Un-Favourite aka: The Un Favorite Defiant to the End Meaningful Background Event Retcon Wicked Cultured Action Survivor I Just Shot Marvin in the Face Alas, Poor Villain Calling the Old Man Out Half the Man He Used to Be Flipping the Bird The Film of the Book Evil Sounds Deep Dramedy Contrived Coincidence Once More, with Clarity! What You Are in the Dark The Musical Foreshadowing Christmas Movies Index Woobie, Destroyer of Worlds Fan Disservice "The Reason You Suck" Speech Cool Old Lady Beta Couple An Arm and a Leg Papa Wolf Boom, Headshot! Improbable Weapon User Large Ham Public Domain Feature Films Ax-Crazy Heroic Sacrifice Red Oni, Blue Oni Stock Footage Names to Run Away from Really Fast The Faceless Real Life Writes the Plot Breaking the Fourth Wall Gainax Ending Knight Templar Slasher Movie Superhero Ragtag Bunch of Misfits Married to the Job Narrator Made of Iron For Want of a Nail Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome Villain Opening Scene Big Eater Shut Up, Hannibal! Jerkass Has a Point Malevolent Masked Men Big Bad Colour-Coded for Your Convenience aka: Color Coded For Your Convenience Adults Are Useless Framing Device Only Sane Man Face–Heel Turn Evil Is Petty Missing Mom Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass Ambiguous Disorder Wretched Hive Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking Antagonist Title Gorn Extremely Short Timespan Silent Movie The Ace Determinator aka: The Determinator Sassy Black Woman Laughing Mad Video Credits Ugly Guy, Hot Wife Shout-Out All for Nothing Funny Background Event Fantasy Films The Bad Guy Wins Black Dude Dies First The Reveal Ship Tease Poor Communication Kills Dark Is Not Evil Mundane Made Awesome Yandere I Did What I Had to Do Male Gaze He Who Fights Monsters Woman in White Never Trust a Trailer Death of a Child Wham Line Hong Kong Films Horror Comedy Gone Horribly Right Love at First Sight Vampire Fiction Agony of the Feet Screw the Money, I Have Rules! Failed a Spot Check Loophole Abuse Asshole Victim Broken Pedestal Dissonant Serenity Scare Chord Danny Peary Cult Movies List The Brute Needs Wiki Magic Love Hope Spot Femme Fatale Vomit Indiscretion Shot Laser-Guided Karma Early-Bird Cameo Brutal Honesty Improbable Aiming Skills Everyone Has Standards Frame-Up All Men Are Perverts Disney Death Rich Bitch Stylistic Suck Eureka Moment Dutch Angle Jitter Cam Mind Screw Brick Joke Plot Hole Slasher Smile Death Glare Death by Sex She Cleans Up Nicely Redemption Equals Death Big-Bad Ensemble Your Cheating Heart Hollywood Law Blatant Lies Butt-Monkey Evil Cannot Comprehend Good Heterosexual Life-Partners The '60s From Nobody to Nightmare He Knows Too Much Villainous Breakdown Offscreen Moment of Awesome Darker and Edgier The Oner Brother–Sister Incest Vacation Films Historical Hero Upgrade Jerkass Manipulative Bastard Scenery Porn Aside Glance Male Frontal Nudity Those Two Bad Guys A.I. Is a Crapshoot Up to Eleven Bottomless Magazines Actor Allusion It's Personal Ambiguous Ending Anguished Declaration of Love The Un-Reveal Downer Ending Defrosting Ice Queen Dull Surprise Be Careful What You Wish For Annoying Younger Sibling Drugs Are Bad Never Found the Body Left the Background Music On Psychopathic Manchild Decoy Protagonist Skewed Priorities Spiteful Spit Dwindling Party Karma Houdini British Films The '70s Riddle for the Ages Honor Before Reason Costume Porn Line-of-Sight Name Bloody Hilarious Taking the Bullet Bavarian Fire Drill Maybe Ever After Heel Realization Leitmotif Comically Missing the Point Call-Forward Imagine Spot Lighter and Softer The Mafia Villain with Good Publicity For the Evulz Broken Aesop The '50s Artistic License – Biology Red Shirt Fire-Forged Friends Fatal Family Photo Punctuated! For! Emphasis! Break the Cutie Only One Name Eagleland Woman Scorned The Big Guy Re-Cut Reality Ensues A God Am I Black and Gray Morality Character Development Enemy Mine Combat Pragmatist Pre-Mortem One-Liner Random Events Plot Foregone Conclusion Dual Wielding Never My Fault Madness Mantra Meaningful Echo Deliberate Values Dissonance Here We Go Again! Corrupt Corporate Executive Reality Has No Subtitles Action Genre Captain Obvious Damsel in Distress Kick the Dog Mighty Whitey She's Got Legs Evil Plan Pretty in Mink Retirony Spiritual Successor Rasputinian Death Blackmail Book-Ends Central Theme Anyone Can Die The Chick Amusing Injuries B-Movie Big Damn Heroes Stealth Pun Plucky Comic Relief Make It Look Like an Accident Film Noir Index Totally Radical Bound and Gagged Humans Are Bastards Back from the Dead Pet the Dog Animated Credits Opening Abhorrent Admirer Heroic BSoD Bare Your Midriff Ominous Latin Chanting Bunny-Ears Lawyer Deal with the Devil Betty and Veronica Badass Boast Arc Words The End... Or Is It? Lampshade Hanging I Need a Freaking Drink No Ending Lock and Load Montage Roger Ebert: Great Movies List Cat Fight Arch-Enemy Bowdlerise Does Not Like Shoes Sequel Hook Gratuitous English Affectionate Parody Air-Vent Passageway Curse Cut Short I Want My Beloved to Be Happy Beware the Nice Ones Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene Insane Troll Logic Bad Boss Sealed Evil in a Can Almost Kiss Recap / RiffTrax aka: Riff Trax Movies Body Horror Spared by the Adaptation Diabolus ex Machina Mugging the Monster "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue "Awesome McCool" Name Henpecked Husband Rule of Symbolism The '80s Freudian Excuse Time Skip Bar Brawl Evil vs. Evil Nice Job Breaking It, Hero! Neck Lift A Date with Rosie Palms Smug Snake Award-Bait Song Eye Scream '80s Hair Serial Killer The Ghost Cool Shades Unusual Euphemism Epic Movie The Atoner Paper-Thin Disguise Would Hurt a Child Curb-Stomp Battle The Bully Love Triangle Hate Sink The Smurfette Principle No-Sell All There in the Script Ass Shove World of Ham No Name Given Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! Posthumous Character Grievous Bottley Harm Suspiciously Similar Substitute Mystery and Detective Films Blood from the Mouth Properly Paranoid "Shaggy Dog" Story Badass Grandpa Toilet Humour aka: Toilet Humor Bald of Evil Visual Pun Dark Action Girl Accidental Murder What Happened to the Mouse? Sanity Slippage Logo Joke Manly Tears Bury Your Gays Throwing Your Sword Always Works My Beloved Smother Adapted Out Parental Incest I'm a Humanitarian Eiffel Tower Effect Kubrick Stare Developing Doomed Characters All There in the Manual Police are Useless The Casanova Rule of Funny Dumb Blonde Suddenly SHOUTING! Product Placement Running Gag Cluster F-Bomb Thriller Jerk with a Heart of Gold Spell My Name with an "S" Even Evil Has Standards The Alleged Car Cain and Abel Nice Job Fixing It, Villain! Handicapped Badass Bitch in Sheep's Clothing Took a Level in Jerkass Last-Name Basis Manchild Military and Warfare Films Four-Temperament Ensemble Sole Survivor Obstructive Bureaucrat Slap-Slap-Kiss Evil Is Hammy Sacrificial Lion Black Comedy I Have Your Wife Horror Films Motor Mouth The Lost Lenore Disney Villain Death Disappeared Dad Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep" Nothing Is Scarier The Sociopath It Will Never Catch On Shower Scene Babies Ever After MacGuffin Expy Kill It with Fire Anachronic Order Artistic License – Gun Safety Cool Guns One Steve Limit Truth in Television Parental Abandonment Adaptation Expansion Chekhov's Gun Getting Crap Past the Radar Badass Longcoat Exact Words Drowning My Sorrows Deadpan Snarker Novelization Author Avatar Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold Those Two Guys Mr. Exposition Dies Wide Open Improvised Weapon Apocalypse How Loads and Loads of Characters The Dog Bites Back Facial Horror Not So Above It All Dramatic Gun Cock Big Bad Duumvirate Badass Normal Coming-of-Age Story Dark Reprise Faux Affably Evil Trailers Always Spoil It's All About Me Pay Evil unto Evil Bittersweet Ending Let's Get Dangerous! Hidden Depths Hollywood Darkness Distracted by the Sexy Intergenerational Friendship Genre Shift Tranquil Fury Heroes Want Redheads One-Word Title Irony Dying Moment of Awesome Drives Like Crazy Gender Flip Closed Circle Daddy's Girl Overly Long Gag Fingore Humiliation Conga Unwitting Instigator of Doom Adaptation Distillation Whole Plot Reference Better to Die than Be Killed Creepy Child Obviously Evil In the Back 20 Minutes into the Future Knife Nut "Well Done, Son!" Guy BFG As Long as It Sounds Foreign Pyrrhic Victory Adorkable Villain Ball Does This Remind You of Anything? Parental Neglect Jump Scare Darkest Hour The Voiceless Would Hit a Girl Really Gets Around Shipper on Deck Hair-Trigger Temper Obfuscating Stupidity Aww, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other Action Prologue Rousing Speech Cassandra Truth Adult Fear The Cavalry Earn Your Happy Ending Double Entendre Alliterative Name Major Injury Underreaction Reckless Gun Usage Disproportionate Retribution You Have Failed Me Punny Name Soft Glass Death by Adaptation What the Hell, Hero? Fish out of Water Taking You with Me Wounded Gazelle Gambit Offscreen Teleportation Crapsack World Freeze-Frame Bonus Mercy Kill Martial Arts Movie Documentary Ironic Echo The Dragon The X of Y Canon Foreigner Bi the Way Say My Name Fantastic Racism Demonic Possession Hooker with a Heart of Gold Dramatic Irony Idiot Ball Dropped a Bridge on Him Race Lift From Bad to Worse Dogged Nice Guy You Have Got to Be Kidding Me! Happily Married The Stinger Scenery Gorn Toplessness from the Back Anti-Villain Ascended Extra Soundtrack Dissonance Not So Different And Starring Only Known by Their Nickname Pun aka: Incredibly Lame Pun Eyepatch of Power True Companions Title Drop Shoot the Shaggy Dog Action Girl Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy Villain Song Creator Cameo Children Are Innocent Hero Antagonist Politically Incorrect Villain The '90s Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane And I Must Scream Stuff Blowing Up Setting Update Our Vampires Are Different Pimped-Out Dress Homage Expository Hairstyle Change Wham Shot Anti-Hero Bilingual Bonus Manic Pixie Dream Girl Actually Pretty Funny Good Is Not Nice Not What It Looks Like Fatal Flaw Sir Not-Appearing-in-This-Trailer Eldritch Abomination Kids Are Cruel Immune to Bullets Age Lift Off-into-the-Distance Ending My Greatest Failure Monumental Damage Television Movie Index Vomit Discretion Shot Fainting Not Even Bothering with the Accent Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? Wrong Genre Savvy Meet Cute Evil Brit Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday Straight Gay This Is Gonna Suck Corpsing Fourth Date Marriage Silence Is Golden Mad Scientist Early Installment Weirdness O.O.C. Is Serious Business After the End Easily Forgiven Cat Scare Oh, Crap! Tempting Fate Badass Bookworm Villain Protagonist The Starscream Sinister Minister Russian Films Playing Gertrude Big Applesauce No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Music Stories Meaningful Name Morality Pet Face Death with Dignity Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas The Dreaded Due to the Dead Heel–Face Turn Unreliable Narrator Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism Adaptational Badass You Killed My Father Black Best Friend Amoral Attorney Double-Meaning Title Even Evil Has Loved Ones Peek-a-Boo Corpse Dressing as the Enemy War Is Hell Cloudcuckoolander Continuity Nod As the Good Book Says... Evil Laugh Death by Irony Fiery Redhead Captain Ersatz Artistic License – Physics Sequel Escalation Green-Eyed Monster Film Series Advertised Extra Those Wacky Nazis Improbable Infant Survival aka: Infant Immortality And the Adventure Continues Adaptational Heroism Noodle Incident Every Car Is a Pinto Big Brother Instinct Only in It for the Money Daylight Horror Japanese Films Instant Death Bullet Crucified Hero Shot Match Cut Bolivian Army Ending Hypocrite Too Dumb to Live A Minor Kidroduction Dirty Coward Call-Back Pre-Asskicking One-Liner Shown Their Work Exactly What It Says on the Tin Vitriolic Best Buds As You Know Older Than They Look Science Fiction Films Ghost Fiction Brainless Beauty Redshirt Army Mooks Dark and Troubled Past Final Girl Artistic License – Geography Storming the Castle Pragmatic Villainy Kick the Son of a Bitch Deliberately Monochrome Determinator Drill Sergeant Nasty Fake Shemp Girl-on-Girl Is Hot Man on Fire Self-Deprecation Deus ex Machina A Father to His Men Works Set in World War II Light Is Not Good Naïve Newcomer Not So Stoic Screw This, I'm Outta Here! Serious Business Red Eyes, Take Warning Chuck Cunningham Syndrome How We Got Here The Vamp Rule of Three Bait-and-Switch Berserk Button Abusive Parents Room Full of Crazy Belligerent Sexual Tension Retired Badass Did Not Get the Girl Interrupted Suicide Friend to All Children One-Man Army Historical Villain Upgrade You Have Outlived Your Usefulness Nice Guy Destination Defenestration Adaptational Villainy Animal Motifs Arranged Marriage The Lancer All Just a Dream Ripped from the Headlines Refuge in Audacity Beauty Is Never Tarnished Five-Man Band Impaled with Extreme Prejudice Pragmatic Adaptation Adaptation Name Change Shell-Shocked Veteran Animal Title Index Sexy Discretion Shot Cruel and Unusual Death Together in Death Scary Black Man Black Comedy Rape Didn't Think This Through Moment Killer Undying Loyalty timeperiod Aluminum Christmas Trees Cowboy Cop Based on a True Story Took a Level in Badass Mood Whiplash Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil Take a Third Option Unusually Uninteresting Sight Canadian Movies It Can Think Psychological Thriller Sadistic Choice La Résistance Get Out! Camera Abuse Rule of Cool Protagonist Title Big "NO!" Outrun the Fireball Suspiciously Specific Denial Despair Event Horizon The Alcoholic Flashback Artistic License – Law Authority Equals Asskicking The Quiet One Faking the Dead More Dakka Evil Counterpart Fate Worse than Death Police Brutality Word of God All Girls Want Bad Boys Precision F-Strike Mexican Standoff Broken Bird Mythology Gag Affably Evil Screw the Rules, I Have Money! Small Name, Big Ego Genre Savvy Psycho for Hire Rape as Drama Extreme Doormat Karmic Death N-Word Privileges French Films Romantic False Lead Guns Akimbo Hypocritical Humor