History Main / DeathbedConfession

* One of the only [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness genuinely serious moments in]] WesternAnimation/{{Archer}} is through one of these. Archer's old friend, who he trusted and thought of as a brother, lays dying after a tree's fallen and crushed him, this being after Luke confesses to Archer that he's in love with him and wants him to leave the agency so they can run away together. Luke begs Archer to hear his dying confession, to which Archer reluctantly agrees, already feeling betrayed by Luke's scheme to abscond with him to the mountains. Luke tells him that one night, after they had been partying, Archer passed out on the hotel bed, and Luke [[DoubleStandardRapeMaleOnMale raped him while he was unconscious.]] Archer screams in anguish, and the final scene is him, Lana, and Cyril in the car driving home; it's completely, unnervingly silent, Lana and Cyril look horrified, and Archer just looks like he's [[HeroicBSOD miles away mentally]] before asking Lana to turn on the radio. It's one of the rare moments in the show that you're absolutely sure contains ''nothing'' to laugh at.

In evidence law, such a confession (or anything said while dying, really), is a ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_declaration dying declaration]]''. Dying declarations are not subject to the usual rules of hearsay, and can thus be admissible when they otherwise wouldn't be. The theory behind this is that someone who knows they are about to die would have no reason to lie, [[ThanatosGambit would they]]? Or, at the very least, it can be presented to the jury for them to determine its veracity, when otherwise the law requires the testimony to be given in person so the jury can see the person giving it. May also overlap DyingReconcilliation.

In evidence law, such a confession (or anything said while dying, really), is a ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_declaration dying declaration]]''. Dying declarations are not subject to the usual rules of hearsay, and can thus be admissible when they otherwise wouldn't be. The theory behind this is that someone who knows they are about to die would have no reason to lie, [[ThanatosGambit would they]]? Or, at the very least, it can be presented to the jury for them to determine its veracity, when otherwise the law requires the testimony to be given in person so the jury can see the person giving it.

* ''Series/GetSmart''. An InvokedTrope in "The Secret of Sam Vittorio" where a former bank robber announces he'll reveal the eponymous secret on his deathbed. HilarityEnsues as Max and 99 try to convince him he's on the verge of death. [[spoiler:The secret turns out to be, "Crime doesn't pay!"]]

* ''Franchise/StarWars Episode VI: Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'': Just before he dies, Yoda tells Luke that he must confront Darth Vader before he can become a Jedi and that there is another Skywalker.

* In Catholicism, the faithful are instructed to confess their sins to a Priest so that they can be granted absolution and so their soul can be unburdened by sin [[note]]While confession is the only way to be sure, someone who is unable to undergo this rite before death can still get into Heaven by praying to God for forgiveness and by being sincerely repentant[[/note]]. Catholics who are in very poor health or who are dying are highly encouraged to make a confession so can go to Heaven when they die. If someone has a serious sin on his conscience then a deathbed confession can be a LastSecondChance to save his soul.

* ''Series/GetSmart''. An InvokedTrope in "The Secret of Sam Vittorio" where a former bank robber announces he'll reveal the eponymous secret on his deathbed. [[spoiler:It turns out to be, "Crime doesn't pay!"]]

In evidence law, such a confession (or anything said while dying, really), is a ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_declaration dying declaration]]''. Dying declarations are not subject to the usual rules of hearsay, and can thus be admissible when they otherwise wouldn't be. The theory behind this is that nobody about to die would have a reason to lie, [[ThanatosGambit would they]]? Or, at the very least, it can be presented to the jury for them to determine its veracity, when otherwise the law requires the testimony to be given in person so the jury can see the person giving it.

[[Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease Avoid real-life examples]]. Many celebrities have accumulated any number of myths and rumors of Deathbed Confessions. Putting words in someone's mouth is always more popular after they can't deny the statement.

* In the {{UsefulNotes/Golden Age|OfComicBooks}} ''[[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]]'' stories, Billy is called to the deathbed of his childhood nurse, Sarah Primm, who tells him that he has a twin sister who was adopted by another family after his parents died. She gives him [[OrphansPlotTrinket half of a locket]], explaining that his sister has the rest of it. Almost immediately he realizes a girl he just met, Mary Bromfield, was wearing the other half, and she winds up becoming [[DistaffCounterpart Mary Marvel]].

!!As this is a DeathTrope, the usual spoiler disclaimer applies.

* ''Fanfic/OneDayAtATimeFanfic'': In the first chapter, PeggySue protagonist Jason Todd makes an implicit one to his adoptive son Terry [=McGinnis=] by giving him complete access to the Bat-Computer. Every single secret in the Bat-Family is now in Terry's possession -- including Project WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond.

* In ''[[Literature/NobodysGirl Nobody's Girl]]'' (and its anime rendition, ''Anime/TheStoryOfPerrine''), [[spoiler: Perrine's dying mother Marie tells her daughter that her father Edmond and her grandfather Vulfran parted ways bitterly after the grandpa's ParentalMarriageVeto, so she cannot expect to be warmly received by Vulfran and his family. Perrine decides to go anyway so she can at least try meeting him and forging her own path.]]

* The entirety of Creator/EdgarAlanPoe's "Literature/TheCaskOfAmontillado" was one of these.

* In the {{Golden Age|OfComicBooks}} ''[[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]]'' stories, Billy is called to the deathbed of his childhood nurse, Sarah Primm, who tells him that he has a twin sister who was adopted by another family after his parents died. She gives him [[OrphansPlotTrinket half of a locket]], explaining that his sister has the rest of it. Almost immediately he realizes a girl he just met, Mary Bromfield, was wearing the other half, and she winds up becoming [[DistaffCounterpart Mary Marvel]].

* In the GoldenAge ''[[ComicBook/{{Shazam}} Captain Marvel]]'' stories, Billy is called to the deathbed of his childhood nurse, Sarah Primm, who tells him that he has a twin sister who was adopted by another family after his parents died. She gives him [[OrphansPlotTrinket half of a locket]], explaining that his sister has the rest of it. Almost immediately he realizes a girl he just met, Mary Bromfield, was wearing the other half, and she winds up becoming [[DistaffCounterpart Mary Marvel]].

* This happens in the first ComicBook/{{Killraven}} story from Marvel.

In evidence law, such a confession (or anything said while dying, really), is a ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dying_declaration dying declaration]]''. Dying declarations are not subject to the usual rules of hearsay, and can thus be admissible when they otherwise wouldn't be. The theory behind this is that nobody about to die would have a reason to lie, [[ThanatosGambit would they]]?

* ''Manga/{{Ooku}}: The Inner Chambers'':

* ''Film/OldScores'': In this UsefulNotes/NewZealand[=/=]UsefulNotes/{{Wales}}[=-=]produced {{dramedy}} film, a rugby match in 1966 between Wales and New Zealand is won by Wales in a controversial manner. The rugby touch judge confesses on his deathbed that he made an error that decided the original match in favour of Wales. As a result, a rematch is agreed, using the very same players from 25 years earlier. Both [[HilarityEnsues hilarity]] and [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome drama]] ensue.

* Saul Karath in ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' uses his last words to undermine Carth's fragile trust in his companions by letting him know his HeterosexualLifePartner (if you're playing male) or LoveInterest (if playing female) is [[spoiler: Revan]]. Nastier because Saul was the one who broke Carth's ability to trust in the first place...

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS29E3Gridlock Gridlock]]", The Face of Boe tells the Doctor "You Are Not Alone" [[spoiler: in reference to The Master still existing trillions of years into the future as Professor [[FunWithAcronyms Yana]]]].

* [[spoiler:Kriem]] from ''Anime/TigerAndBunny'' gives one to [[spoiler: Barnaby]] before committing suicide by [[spoiler: cutting off her own life support]].

Avoid real-life examples. Many celebrities have accumulated any number of myths and rumors of Deathbed Confessions. Putting words in someone's mouth is always more popular after they can't deny the statement.

!!As this is a DeathTrope, the usual spoiler disclaimer applies: