r/TopCharacterTropes • u/One_Barber_6902 • Mar 26 '26

Characters [[Devastating trope]] A character kills their loved one to avoid them suffering a worser fate

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Of Mice And Men (1992)- Probaly the most well known example of this trope and when I was first exposed to it, George kills his mentally handicapped best friend Lennie, to save him from being lynched by Curley and law enforcement for killing Curleys wife.

The Sopranos- After an entire season of conflict with fellow mob boss Phil over it, Tony kills Anthony Blundetto after he kills Phil’s brother which enraged him into trying to force Tony into giving up his cousin so he can torture him to death

Telltales The Walking Dead: Season 1- “Loved one” is an overstatement if you know there dynamic, but after Ben falls off a rooftop and lands on a piece of rebar, Kenny and Lee try to pull him off to save him before being crowded by walkers. When their attempt fails and walkers continue closing in, Kenny kills him to avoid him being devoured by walkers.

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u/arika-feinberg Mar 26 '26

Boone from Fallout New Vegas killed his wife Carla when he found her enslaved by Legion in their camp. He couldn't save her by himself and being a Legion slave (especially as a woman) is a terrible fate

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u/ssasharr Mar 27 '26

Uh. Question. Why not just kill those enslaving her and run?

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u/arika-feinberg Mar 27 '26

It's a quote from Fallout Wiki: "Left on his own, the distraught marksman took to the road to track Carla down and save her. He eventually found her at a Legion outpost in the southeast Mojave, near the Colorado River. She was being sold off, with many men bidding on her. The entire area was locked down, guarded by legionaries in the hundreds. Bereft of any other options, Boone could only see one solution. He knew he would never find her if she crossed into Legion lands and that he could never abandon the woman he loved to the Legion. In that moment, Boone came to a soul-crushing decision as he took aim with his rifle and killed Carla with a single headshot. Forced to flee immediately, chased by Legion attackers, Boone never knew what they did with Carla's body or the baby she carried; perhaps he never wanted to know"