![]() ![]() The bad guys of the story whether it be a Nebulous Evil Organisation, Quirky Miniboss Squad, group of Professional Killers, a group of Frontline Generals to an evil Empire or anything else try to kill the heroes but they just end up being killed or captured one by one. Legion of Doom: The villainous side to this trope.The Caper: A Caper Crew of career criminals are hired for an Impossible Theft or to release someone from The Alcatraz, leading to both death from Malevolent Architecture, guards, and Chronic Backstabbing Disorder.Doomed Wilderness Expedition, where The Captain is often the last man standing for some reason, along with Send in the Search Team and Total Party Kill. Exploration: See River of Insanity a.k.a.Escape: The protagonists are in a very hazardous place like a Hungry Jungle or Thirsty Desert, and have to fight the elements rather than a killer (though a Super-Persistent Predator is usually involved here, it's often an additional hazard rather than the crux of the danger in and of itself).If it's the latter, there will be some overlap with the "hunted" scenario. Deadly Game: The protagonists are participating (often unwillingly) in a competition that requires they kill or be killed, or which requires them to try and evade someone or something that is out to kill them.They look for an escape or means of beating it as it kills them off. Hunted: The protagonists on a Deadly Road Trip are trapped and hunted by a killer, monster, or some other deadly agent out to kill them all.Expect to see a conga-line of Heroic Sacrifices. ![]() Suicide Mission: The heroes know they have no chance to survive, but give it their all to ensure that the Hero makes it.There are a few common set-ups to each, but they usually boil down to: This trope is usually used only in the Action-Adventure and Survival Horror Genres because it's kinda hard to write a Love Dodecahedron when Everybody's Dead, Dave. Also, playing the Sorting Algorithm of Mortality too straight will allow viewers to pick off the obvious Red Shirts and avoid feeling urgency or attachment. Namely, killing characters off too quickly or without proper characterization will not elicit the audience's empathy at the deaths. Usually it works pretty well, though there are risks to using this trope. Not only Can Anyone Die, but in fact, everyone is dying! The reasoning is that as audiences grow attached to characters, the Emotional Torque from their death will resonate more and more with each passing, until it reaches fever pitch when The Hero confronts the cause of all the deaths. When an author uses a Dwindling Party, it's to showcase just how dangerous the situation has become. Then, as you proceed towards the final battle, your friends start to die. Battles are fought, Character Development is had, Fire-Forged Friends are made, and hearty laughs are shared by all. So you're The Hero on a dangerous quest, you gather The Team and rally that Rag Tag Bunch Of Misfits to your cause. ![]()
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