History GoOutWithASmile / VideoGames

* ''Franchise/TheKingOfFighters'': Just before being [[RetGone erased out of existence]], Ash Crimson smiles one last time for his childhood friend Elizabeth.

* ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars: Dual Strike]]'' has a minor one with Andy's clone near the end of the game. All of the clones in this game apparently suffer from rapid degeneration that causes them to die after their featured mission. However, the Andy clone hangs on long enough to ask everyone what the real Andy is like, and hearing them praise his original allows him to die happy.

-->'''Batman''': Do you wanna know something funny? Even after everything you've done... [[ThouShaltNotKill I would have saved you.]]\\
'''Joker''': ''(starts genuinely laughing)'' [[{{Irony}} That actually is... pretty funny]]... ''([[DieLaughing laughs turn to coughing as he finally dies]])''
* In ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' against the [[MirrorMatch Isaac]] boss, the third form has him smile widely as he grows angelic wings. What this means in conjunction with the fact that by this point Isaac himself is slowly dying is left to interpretation.
* From ''Franchise/BlazBlue'':

* Just before being [[RetGone erased out of existence]], [[VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters Ash Crimson]] smiles one last time for his childhood friend Elizabeth.

** And finally, in the DLC ending, Asura himself [[TheHeroDies dies]] after destroying Chakravartin and removes Mantra from the universe. As he fades away, he [[FaceDeathWithDignity accepts his death]] and gives his sobbing daughter one last smile, [[CursedWithAwesome finally free of his wrath]].

** ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': Another variation is made with Zelda. A variation in the fact that she doesn't die, but she locks herself in a crystal to fall into a deep sleep for thousands of years, to keep [[BigBad Demise]] at bay -- which could be considered similar to death. After Link promises to wake her up, you can see her [[TearfulSmile tearfully smile]] behind the crystal just before she falls asleep. She does, however, wake up later in the game.

* The Joker, true to form till the end, in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity''.

*** Emet-Selch is an [[{{Precursours}} Ascian]] with an embittered attitude, sarcastic smirks and a back bent by the burden of having spent the last 10,000 years or so [[TragicVillain attempting to restore his world]], [[WellIntentionedExtremist no matter the cost]]. When you finally kill him at the climax of the ''Shadowbringers'' main quest storyline, he stands up straight, finally freed from the burden of his responsibilities, begs you not to forget that he and his people once existed, and gives you a sincere smile. It is at once both deeply heartwarming and absolutely heartrending.

** Sans literally [[PerpetualSmiler never stops smiling]] the entire game, even as he bleeds to death at the end of the [[KillEmAll Genocide]] route. It's plausible the reason is that he's aware of the player's ability to reset the game, meaning nothing that happens, good or bad, is necessarily permanent and everything will most likely return to normal.

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' plays it straight with [[StoicWoobie Jin]] as he finds peace in his final moments saying: "''It's quiet now. I don't think it's ever been this quiet before in my whole life. [[TheAtoner This is what I sought. And yet, now that the time has finally come, I long for the noise of the past. I long for those hectic and chaotic days that once were. But this too, [[PeacefulInDeath is pleasant, in an odd sort of way"]]''

* ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars: Dual Strike]]'' has a minor one with [[spoiler:Andy's clone]] near the end of the game. [[spoiler:All of the clones in this game apparently suffer from rapid degeneration that causes them to die after their featured mission. However, the Andy clone hangs on long enough to ask everyone what the real Andy is like, and hearing them praise his original allows him to die happy.]]

** After an [[AwesomeBosses/AsurasWrath epic battle]] with his pupil, [[spoiler:[[OldMaster Aug]][[BloodKnight us]] dies smiling, content that his last battle was as exhilarating as he had hoped, even [[GracefulLoser giving Asura his blessing]]]].
** [[spoiler:Yasha dies smiling after his last battle with Asura, in hope that the now powered up Asura can save the world.]]
** [[spoiler:And finally, in the DLC ending, Asura himself [[TheHeroDies dies]] after destroying Chakravartin and removes Mantra from the universe. As he fades away, he [[FaceDeathWithDignity accepts his death]] and gives his sobbing daughter one last smile, [[CursedWithAwesome finally free of his wrath]].]]
* In ''VideoGame/BackToTheFutureTheGame'', after [[spoiler:Citizen Brown was run over by Edna Strickland, he asks Marty to see the 1986 newspaper -- and sees that their changes to the timeline have resulted in him becoming a respected scientist like he dreamed when he was younger. He smiles as he fades out of the restored timeline]].
* [[spoiler:The Joker, true to form till the end,]] in ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity''.
* In ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'' against the [[MirrorMatch Isaac]] boss, the third form has him smile widely as he grows angelic wings. What this means in conjunction with the fact that by this point [[spoiler:Isaac himself is slowly dying]] is left to interpretation.

** In the True Ending of ''VideoGame/BlazBlueContinuumShift'', [[spoiler:just as Hazama is about to deliver the killing blow to Ragna, Lambda teleports in front of Ragna and [[TakingTheBullet takes the blow for him]]. She dies peacefully in Ragna's arms while telling him how much she loves him and how happy she was to sacrifice herself for him]].
** And the last game ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueCentralFiction Central Fiction]]'' is full of these.
*** [[spoiler:Hazama jumps into the cauldron with a smile. Subverted, as the assumption is he'll end up in Naoto's world]].
*** [[spoiler:Terumi dies laughing and cursing Ragna after Ragna delivered the final blow]].
*** [[spoiler:Ragna smiles just before he erases himself. Possibly subverted, as we don't know his true final fate.]]
* In ''VideoGame/BoxxyQuestTheGatheringStorm'', Tyalie is last seen smiling brightly and waving at the camera during the True Ending. She’s alive and well at the time, so it’s not an example of this trope… [[spoiler:unless you watched her final support scene, in which she explains to the player that she knows she’s fictional, and that she’ll [[CessationOfExistence cease to exist]] as soon as the game ends and the credits roll.]]
* ''VideoGame/CryptOfTheNecrodancer'': [[spoiler:After Aria destroys the Golden Lute, she is seen smiling as she slumps to the ground, knowing she's put an end to the Lute's curse.]]

* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' [[spoiler:Leandra, [[PlayerCharacter Hawke]]'s mother, dies smiling in her child's arms after telling him/her [[SoProudOfYou how proud she is of him/her]]]].

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' [[spoiler:Judge Drace]] smiles as Gabranth kills her because he's promised to take care of Larsa in her stead.
** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'', [[spoiler:the Yeul of [=200AF=] (the one who likes to pick flowers)]] dies smiling after seeing a vision of [[spoiler:a happy version of Academia in 400AF, where there is no proto Fal'cie]].

** In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' [[spoiler:Louisoix Leveilleur dies saving the player character's life. Once the heroes are safely away, the old elezen looks at the ultimate attack Bahamut sends at him and [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/b/b4/FFXIV_Lousioix_Death.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130915202028 is content]].]]
*** Later on, in ''Heavensward'', [[spoiler:Haurchefant Greystone]] serves as both an example and an inversion. [[spoiler:His last words are asking [[PlayerCharacter the Warrior of Light]] to smile, as it "better suits a hero". They oblige, and he smiles in return before dying.]]
* From ''Franchise/FireEmblem'':

** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' does this [[spoiler:with your avatar should you choose to deal the finishing blow to Grima. Before your avatar fades away, s/he turns to Chrom and bids him farewell with a final wave. Along with a unique voice clip, your avatar is seen with a cheerful expression. (Subverted in that the Avatar is later found, alive.)]]
--->'''[[spoiler:Robin]]:''' [[spoiler:May we meet again, in a better life...]]

*** There's a potential example with [[spoiler:Kaze]] in the ''Birthright'' route. [[spoiler:Should you not get him up to an A-Support with Corrin before Chapter 15, Kaze will save them from falling off a cliff, only to end up falling off it himself. His final line features him smiling in relief that he was able to save them.]]
*** There's also something of an ''inverted'' example at the very end of ''Birthright''. [[spoiler:Azura's the one dying, and she asks Corrin to smile for her, so the last thing she can see is them smiling instead of crying.]]
*** Meanwhile, in the ''Conquest'' route, both [[spoiler:Ryoma]] and [[spoiler:Takumi ([[CameBackWrong the second time]])]] give you reassuring smiles right before dying.

* [[spoiler:Daniella]] from ''VideoGame/HauntingGround'' smiles [[spoiler:after a shard of glass impales her from above. When you examine her body, Fiona mentions that, after [[DissonantSerenity she had shown no emotions]] [[SlasherSmile save for]] [[AxCrazy homicidal fury]], she was now grinning from ear to ear]]. Although there's no direct explanation given, fans speculate that either [[spoiler:Daniella felt the sensation of pain for the first time, something that she (being a [[ArtificialHuman homunculus]]) could not ordinarily experience, or that she hated herself and that dying was a relief]].
* From ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'':
** Sora from ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsI'' smiled, before he stabbed himself with Xehanort's dark keyblade to free Kairi. [[spoiler:It just turns him into a Heartless]].

** And in ''[[VideoGame/KingdomHearts358DaysOver2 358/2 Days]]'', [[spoiler:after Roxas defeats Xion in a boss battle, Xion smiles at Roxas one last time in his arms as she fades away]].
** In ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'', [[spoiler:nearly every single defeated Organization member (save for Terra-Xehanort, who just transforms back into Terra) fades away with a peaceful smile. Some of them know they will be recompleted as humans afterward, but even characters like Vanitas, Ansem Seeker of Darkness, and Xemnas manage to give one last smile--culminating in Master Xehanort finally giving up and moving on with his best friend Eraqus at his side, both smiling.]]

* ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'': [[spoiler:After defeating [[TrueFinalBoss Void]] in Soul Melter EX, he gives off ''Kirby's'' smile as he explodes with stars flying out of his body.]]

** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel III'' has [[spoiler:Millium dying with a smile on her face, content that she managed to save Rean and Altina from the Nameless One.]] Its sequel, ''Cold Steel IV'' has [[spoiler:Rean, Crow, and Millium dying in the normal ending with smiles to their faces as they disperse the curse of Erebonia for good.]]

** ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': Another variation is made with [[spoiler:Zelda. A variation in the fact that she doesn't die, but she locks herself in a crystal to fall into a deep sleep for thousands of years, to keep [[BigBad Demise]] at bay -- which could be considered similar to death. After Link promises to wake her up, you can see her [[TearfulSmile tearfully smile]] behind the crystal just before she falls asleep.]] [[spoiler:She does, however, wake up later in the game]].

*** Several people go out like this: If you convince [[spoiler:Saren]] to off himself, [[spoiler:he whispers "thank you,"]] and his face looks, if not smiling, then at least calm [[spoiler:(he is a turian, whose facial anatomy doesn't exactly make smiling like a human particularly easy or obvious)]].
*** Several of [[spoiler:your squadmates]] do something like this if [[spoiler:they die during the suicide mission]].

** The Main Character reaches up to dry [[spoiler:Aigis]]'s tears and gives her a heartfelt smile before falling asleep for eternity.
** In the final scenes of the game, [[spoiler:the sociopath Takaya limps up to the top of Tartarus to laugh in the party's face as, despite all their efforts, Nyx is still coming to end all life. Even though the heroes ''hadn't'' injured him fatally, he collapses on his back and smiles to welcome the end, thinking of his (dead) partner Jin, implying that he ''willed'' himself to die as reward for fulfilling their plans]].

* The ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' series has [[spoiler:Dimentio]] and [[spoiler:Fawful]], from ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' and ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigi'', respectively, as each [[spoiler:has a final plan to eliminate the Mario Bros]].

* ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss'' has a subtle version after [[spoiler:Asch's]] YouShallNotPass moment turns into a HeroicSacrifice. [[spoiler:He has a ''very'' faint smile on his face as he entrusts the future to Luke and passes on his own power to him to aid in that.]]

** Sans literally [[PerpetualSmiler never stops smiling]] the entire game, even as he bleeds to death at the end of the [[KillEmAll Genocide]] route. It's plausible the reason is that [[spoiler:he's aware of the player's ability to reset the game]], meaning nothing that happens, good or bad, is necessarily permanent and everything will most likely return to normal.

** Undyne, [[spoiler:after assuming her [[HeroicSecondWind Undying]] [[OneWingedAngel form]]]] in the Genocide route. [[DefiantToTheEnd She grins proudly as she tells the protagonist that she won't give up hope.]]

** [[spoiler:[[{{Jerkass}} Flowey]] flashes a triumphant SlasherSmile should you kill him at the end of your first run as you, by doing so, have validated his ideology: In this world, it's KILL or BE KILLED.]] It's ''very'' effective at [[YourApprovalFillsMeWithShame making the bile rise in your throat.]]

* In ''VideoGame/AWayOut'', this happens to [[spoiler:either Leo or Vincent, should you choose to fatally shoot one of them]] in the climactic battle. [[spoiler:If Vincent is shot, he requests that Leo give his wife Carol his apology letter; Leo agrees, and Vincent dies smiling. If Leo is shot, Vincent takes pity on him and decides to stay by Leo's side and hold his hand, out of respect towards their former friendship, which comforts Leo enough that he dies with a smile on his face]].
* [[spoiler:Sota]] from ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' appears to smile, before [[spoiler:he is erased, shortly after Nao's erasure]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}'' plays it straight with [[spoiler:[[StoicWoobie Jin]]]] as he finds peace in his final moments saying: [[spoiler:"''It's quiet now. I don't think it's ever been this quiet before in my whole life. [[TheAtoner This is what I sought]]. And yet, now that the time has finally come, I long for the noise of the past. I long for those hectic and chaotic days that once were. But this too,[[PeacefulInDeath is pleasant, in an odd sort of way"]]'']]
* ''VideoGame/{{Yakuza 2}}'': [[spoiler: As he lays dying from a gunshot wound to the stomach and shoulder, Ryuji asks his half-sister Kaoru to smile for him as it reminds him of his late mother. Kaoru complies, and Ryuji gives a smile of his own before he bleeds out]].