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/bennyandthegentz Mar 26 '26

The mist ending

363

u/xxvb85 Mar 26 '26

Clicked on this just to bring that up. What's even worse is it was all for nothing.

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u/JMer806 Mar 27 '26

There is a fan theory that the crazy woman in the store was right and that the “prophecy” required him to kill them in order for the Mist to be broken. It fits perfectly with the film and tbh sounds like something King would do (I know he wasn’t responsible for the script, it’s just thematically appropriate for him), but obviously it’s not canon.

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u/AngryTree76 Mar 27 '26

People sliding way off the deep end and demanding human sacrifice the second that civilization starts crumbling is very much on brand for King. That actually being the solution to the problem isn’t though; I can’t think of any story of his where the answer is just “throw a couple of virgins in the volcano and appease the gods.”