History Main / DeathByFlashback

!!'''As a DeathTrope, all Spoilers will be unmarked ahead. Beware.'''

[[folder: Anime and Manga]]

* In ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing'', Bobby (who was suffering with amnesia) recalls the story as to how he got amnesia: [[spoiler:he and his Bob-Omb pals were taking a cruise on ''The Princess Peach'' before fighting off against a Paper Mache Blooper but he fell into the sea and woke up at the docks]]. After he reveals his story, he tells Mario why they had to go back to the ship -- it was to get the item in an important box. [[spoiler:The item was his deceased friend's fuse, and he uses it to detonate himself to destroy a boulder trapping Olivia.]]

* In ''VideoGame/PaperMarioTheOrigamiKing'', Bobby (who was suffering with amnesia) recalls the story as to how he got amnesia [[spoiler:he and his Bob-Omb pals were taking a cruise on ''The Princess Peach'' before fighting off against a Paper Mache Blooper but he got fell into the sea and woke up at the docks]]. After he reveals his story, he tells Mario why they had to go back to the ship -- it was to get the item in an important box. [[spoiler:The item was his deceased friend's fuse, and he uses it to detonate himself to destroy a boulder trapping Olivia.]]

** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] in a recent Filler episode, when a character begins flashbacking in mid-battle and is immediately convinced that his own death is imminent. He even defines flashbacks as visions of the past that a person sees just before their death.

* On ''Series/{{Angel}}'' Fred got both extended flashbacks before she was taken over by Illyria in "[[Recap/AngelS05E15AHoleInTheWorld A Hole in the World]]" and a ReallyDeadMontage after she died and Illyria took over in "[[Recap/AngelS05E16Shells]]".

* Surprisingly, this was used in ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}''. Ash's Bulbasaur was at Oak's lab helping bring a stop to some territorial disputes, when a boulder falls. It looks like [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids it was crushed]], with a series of flashbacks playing highlights of Bulbasaur from the series. [[SubvertedTrope Bulbasaur used Dig and popped up a few seconds later.]]

* Episode 25 of ''Anime/{{Fullmetal Alchemist|2003}}'' places heavy focus on the relationship between Maes Hughes and Roy Mustang during flashbacks, and gives Maes in general a lot of attention. He was doomed.

* Happens with almost every major character in ''Anime/JuniTaisenZodiacWar''.

* The manga version of ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'' shows a flashback of each of the Greenhorn Team members' life and motivation before they are brutally torn apart by the goblins.

* In the ''LightNovel/MagicalGirlRaisingProject'' anime, it's common for someone to get their expository flashback the episode of or right before their death. Calamity Mary gets an episode to breathe while Ruler, Magicaloid 44, Hardgore Alice, Minael, and Cranberry all have their backstories shown the episode they die. Tama subverts it by getting her flashback right after she dies. This is mostly averted in the novel.

[[folder: Literature]]

* Somewhat subverted in "Anime/{{Psychopass}}". Episode 12 is centered around a flashback to when Yayoi Kunizuka joined Division 1 as an Enforcer. Yayoi survives the whole episode and through the first season, while the members of the Division who do die, Shusei Kagari and Tomomi Masaoka (to a lesser extent), receive very little exposition.

* Episode 25 of ''Anime/{{Fullmetal Alchemist}}'' places heavy focus on the relationship between Maes Hughes and Roy Mustang during flashbacks, and gives Maes in general a lot of attention. He was doomed.

* Bleeding Gums Murphy in ''TheSimpsons'' reveals a whole bunch of previously unmentioned backstory about him before he dies in the episode "'Round Springfield". There's also a hint that he may be Dr. Hibbert's long-lost brother, but it never goes beyond a brief throwaway joke.