History Main / DwindlingParty

* In ''Film/ThePoseidonAdventure'', ten people start the journey from the main dining room to the engine room. Only six make it all the way to the end.

'''[[color:red:As this is a DeathTrope, beware {{spoiler}}s!]]'''

* ''VideoGame/TheLordOfTheRingsOnline: Siege of Mirkwood'' storyline. You are sent on a dangerous errand with Five Elves which compose "The Hidden Guard". Their numbers start to dwindle quickly so much to the point that you barely get to know the first one to die and cant really relate to his death, although the passing of the last victim is truly heartbreaking.

* ''ComicBook/{{Thunderbotls}}'': During the Honduras arc in ''ComicBook/Thunderbolts2012'', everyone save Ross is killed off one by one, mainly due to the Red Leader, only to be brought back at the end by ResetButton.

* Villain version in ''ComicBook/{{Copperhead}}'': when Zolo's gang kidnaps Boo and races for their stronghold, the gang is killed off one by one either by the pursuing sheriff's posse or Boo himself.
* Creator/GarthEnnis' ''ComicBook/{{Crossed}}'' has this. Some of the characters are killed by the titular sadistic, not-quite-zombie Crossed while others kill themselves or are killed by the other survivors.
* In ''Flesh:'' "Texas", Pat Mills has stated he is aiming to have an average of one character dying each week.
* Each Year of ''ComicBook/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' features the death of at least one member of Batman's Insurgency. It becomes so common that by Year Four the remaining members begin {{lampshad|eHanging}}ing it.
* One ''Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' story had the team taking on their enemy the Key and all sacrificing themselves one by one until only the John Stewart Green Lantern and Red Tornado were left. [[spoiler:Turns out the other League members were secretly saved by the Phantom Stranger at the last minute.]]
* In ''ComicBook/LastDaysOfTheJusticeSociety'', the members of the ComicBook/JusticeSocietyOfAmerica in 1945 that makes it inside the Spear of Destiny's sphere of influence get picked off one by one as they make their way into the bunker where Adolf Hitler is using the Spear to bring the end of the world. Ultimately, the team fails, and the world is dissolved in flames.
* In book 2 of ''ComicBook/LesLegendaires'', the titular Legendaries agree to go along with a series of deadly tests imposed by the Guardian of a multiple magic stones, so they can acquire the one they need to cure their world of the curse known as the Jovenia Effect. They end up dying one by one while going through the test, each time [[HeroicSacrifice giving their life so the others can go on]]. In the end, [[TheHero Danael]] and a dying Jadina alone make it to the Guardian, [[ShaggyDogStory only for a villainous character to double-cross them and take the Stone they wanted for himself]]. Fortunately, when Danael refuses to take another stone, the Guardian decides to instead reward him by [[BackFromTheDead resurrecting his friends]].
* In ''ComicBook/PocketGod'', The first story arc had most of the pygmies die one by one in their quest to revive their Gem of Life. By the end of the arc, [[ThePrankster Ooga]] manages to revive the Gem and bring his tribe back to life.
* Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog and his friends are no strangers to getting separated from one another, but this trope isn't usually what scatters them. In ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogIDW'', however, Sonic and the gang face a threat that plays this trope straight: the Metal Virus, a bioweapon created by Dr. Eggman that turns its victims into zombie-like robots called "Zombots". Eggman unleashes the virus in Issue 16, starting a ZombieApocalypse that gradually takes out every hero and villain involved. Sonic himself very nearly succumbs to the virus before being cured when he and Silver the Hedgehog go Super in Issue 29. By then, Super Sonic, Super Silver, and Deadly Six leader Zavok (in his OneWingedAngel form) are the only characters left who aren't infected, cornered, or otherwise absent from the battlefield. After [[CurbStompBattle making short work of Zavok]], Sonic and Silver become the last characters standing a minute or two before restoring all their friends (and, by proximity, foes) with a WorldHealingWave.

* ''ComicBook/TheWickedAndTheDivine's'' premise makes this inevitable. All of the resurrected gods will be dead within two years. As of issue 13, [[spoiler:Lucifer, Inanna, Laura, and Tara are all dead]].

* Season endings in ''Anime/SailorMoon'' tend to involve the cast getting picked off one by one, with a lot of TearJerker HeroicSacrifices, leaving the title hero to stand up on her own. Of course, as the main character explicitly has "resurrection" as one of her powers, this doesn't stick... as long as you're a main character.

* Across ''Pocast/TheMagnusArchives'', the main cast (often called the Archives Gang) steadily dwindles until only two of them are alive at the end. Sasha is first to go, [[KillAndReplace killed and replaced]] by the [=NotThem=] at the end of season 1. Next is Tim Stoker, who goes out in an explosion taking the Stranger's Circus with him. After him is [[spoiler:Daisy, who [[FateWorseThanDeath gives into the Hunt]] at the end of season 4, then is {{Mercy Kill}}ed halfway through season 5. Finally, Jon is stabbed by Martin in the finale, and both suffer an UncertainDoom. The final scene of the entire series shows that Melanie and Basira are the last survivors, along with Melanie's girlfriend Georgie, and Rosie, a minor character who worked at the Institute but not in the archives]].

* In the ''Manga/CaseClosed'' NonSerialMovie ''The Phantom of Baker Street'', fifty kids are trapped in a virtual reality game, and unless at least one of them [[WinToExit makes it to the end of their scenario]], they'll all be killed. Conan's group, who are wandering around Sherlock Holmes' London, figures out that the minute hand on Big Ben, which started at the 50 mark, ticks backwards one minute for each player who is eliminated from the game. Throughout the movie, the number on the clock gets smaller and smaller until [[ItsUpToYou Conan's team is the only one left]]. Of course, due to [[TooDumbToLive various]] [[HeroicSacrifice circumstances]], even they find themselves getting steadily picked off one by one as the game goes on.

[[folder:Film — Animated]]

[[folder:Film — Live-Action]]

* John Peel's ''2099'' series killed off the entire human race except twelve children in the first book, and two children somewhat later in that same book. Every subsequent book killed off another two characters, until only two were left in book six.

* Missions led by Literature/CiaphasCain [[spoiler:'''HERO OF THE IMPERIUM!!!''']] (from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' books by Creator/SandyMitchell) tend to develop like this. Of course, without Cain the missions would've been doomed from the start.
** The clearest-cut example is from ''Caves of Ice'', where Cain's expedition into the eponymous caves goes from a full squad of Guardsmen, to half a squad, to three, and then down to only two. (Admittedly, he sent the other half of the squad back himself, but only because they were walking wounded.)

* ''Eternity Road'' is [[PlayingWithATrope kind of weird about this]]. At first, it looks like it's heading for an EverybodyLives ending, especially since the first death is a case of NeverFoundTheBody. The first and second deaths both come out of nowhere, but after the second it sets itself up for a scenario enacting this trope. [[spoiler:After the third death, the main character goes through a HeroicBSOD and resolves to keep everyone else alive -- and they all make it out, even the whiny merchant who couldn't be lower on the SortingAlgorithmOfMortality if he were wearing a red shirt.]]

* In the various voyages of [[Literature/SinbadTheSailor]], he would get shipwrecked or marooned on far off shores. If his fellow passengers or crew mates weren't all immediately killed, the locals would dine on them soon enough.
* In ''Somewhere a Voice'' by Creator/EricFrankRussell a group of people shipwrecked in hostile alien jungle are trying to reach an Earth outpost. [[spoiler:Only the dog is alive when rescuers find them.]] The story is more about bigotry and WhatMeasureIsANonHuman, with the viewpoint character [[spoiler:initially]] considering most of the characters (all Earth humans) inferior.

* As you progress through ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin2,'' Sebastian meets and becomes allies with four [[NebulousEvilOrganization Mobius]] agents who have been stranded inside STEM, Liam, Sykes, Hoffman, and Torres, and as the stakes grow higher and you fight towards the climax, each member gets picked off in various ways; you're forced to kill Liam in self-defense after he's been [[BrainwashedAndCrazy forcibly turned]] towards [[SinisterMinister Theodore's]] side and tries to kill you, Torres is overrun by an enemy horde while protecting your unconscious body and succumbs to her injuries, Sykes subjects himself to an experimental escape route from STEM and is never heard from again, and Hoffman is tackled by an enemy and [[IWillOnlySlowYouDown tells you to leave her behind]] to save yourself and rescue [[MacGuffinSuperPerson Lily]] before being engulfed in flames. Finally all the help you've had while inside STEM is gone, and you're just as alone as when you started.
-->'''Sebastian:''' After all of this...I'm the only one left.