History Main / ItsTheOnlyWay

* In the pilot episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', Captain Janeway decides that destroying the Array that could take them back home is the only way of preventing the hostile Kazon from seizing it and dooming the Ocampan. This creates the set-up for the rest of the series by stranding them in the Delta Quadrant. This promptly caused a debate among Trekkies as to whether it really was the only option that Janeway had.

* In the pilot episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', the crew decides that the only way to prevent the [[TooDumbToLive Kazons]] from taking control of the Caretaker's Array is to remain in the Delta Quadrant (rather than taking it back home) so that they can blow it up. Apparently, none of them have ever heard of time bombs. Also, nobody brings up the far more logical argument that the Array had already killed half the crew the first time it was used, and they didn't have any way of ensuring it would be safer this time.
** Somewhat justified in that the Kazon were already there. In the middle of the battle, it was decided to destroy the array.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid'': King Triton says this before laying waste to Ariel's grotto, thinking it will end her obsession with the human world once and for all. It backfires horribly.

* In ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', Jean Grey sacrifices herself, supposedly because it's the only way to save the team; there has been considerable debate among fans about the ''multiple'' other ways they could have survived, or ways she could have saved them that would not have involved her death.

* Series finale of ''Series/BurnNotice'' - The "only way" for Jesse to get Charlie out of the safe house is for [[spoiler:Madeline to push the big red button on the bomb and sacrifice herself in the process.]] Except of course for the countless other ways they could have easily rigged that big red button to be pressed when the bad guys opened the door. Or the countless other kinds of boobie traps the characters have rigged up over the past seven seasons.

* ''Fanfic/YourMoveInstigatorDrawYourWeaponAndHoldYourTongue'': Danzo fancies himself to be a WellIntentionedExtremist willing to do whatever it takes to protect Konohagakure, regardless of what sacrifices it requires him to force upon others. Much of the internal conflict among the adult shinobi has them grappling with this mentality, forced to weigh the cost of compliance versus the cost of resisting their superiors' insistence upon [[ChildrenForcedToKill hastily training 'non-essential children']] as ChildSoldiers.

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--> '''Danni:''' Only one way to find out!\\

[[folder: Film -- Animation]]

-->'''Applejack:''' What were you thinkin'?! I mean, ''stealin' their pearl?!''
-->'''Twilight:''' It was the only way to save Equestria.
-->'''Pinkie Pie:''' Except it ''wasn't!''

-->'''Mrs. Claus:''' Alright, enough of this! Now I hate to do this to you, but you leave me no choice! I'm going over your heads!
-->'''Snow Miser:''' You're kidding!
-->'''Heat Miser:''' You wouldn't dare!
-->'''Mrs. Claus:''' I can and I will!
-->'''Heat Miser:''' M-Mrs. Claus! ''(to Snow Miser)'' Look what you did, you old blizzard! Now she's going to tell mother!
-->'''Snow Miser:''' What ''I'' did, you hot dog? This is ''your'' fault!

[[folder: Film -- Live-Action]]
* In ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', Jean Grey sacrifices herself, supposedly because it's the only way to save the team; there has been considerable debate among fans about the ''multiple'' other ways they could have survived, or ways she could have saved them that would not have involved her death.

* In the climax of ''Film/TenaciousDInThePickOfDestiny'', Jack Black challenges the Devil to a rock-off, and for the stakes declares the Devil can take (just) his partner Kyle Gass back to Hell as a sex slave if they lose. He then melodramatically urges the understandably upset Kyle that "it's the ''only'' way!".
** Although, when you really think about it, it actually IS the only way. What better motivation to rock ''really hard'' than threats of rape by Satan himself?
*** Also, he had the deal center on his ''partner'' being taken by Satan so that ''he'' [[spoiler:would be free to block the unholy lightning attack with his guitar and blow the Devil's horn off.]] Of course, how he expected ''that'' to work is another question entirely.
* Parodied (kind of) in the movie ''Film/SnakesOnAPlane'', where the villain releases hundreds of venomous snakes onto a plane containing a single person he wishes to kill. When one of his lackeys wonders if there might have been a simpler plan with a higher chance of success, the villain snaps something to the effect of, "Do you think I didn't exhaust every other option?"
* [[JustifiedTrope Weirdly justified]] in ''Film/{{Transmorphers}}'': A nuclear bomb needs to be placed next to a reactor. They attempt to throw it in, which is (of course) unsuccessful. So, our hero decides to put it in himself, despite the requisite 100% chance of death. [[spoiler:Turns out he's actually an android, and therefore the only one capable of fooling the defense system, which is programmed to sense only organic material]]. It's no less melodramatic, though.
* Spoofed in ''Film/SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow''.
-->'''Sky Captain:''' "Is it safe?"
-->'''Dex:''' "Well, there's only one way to find out."
-->''(Sky Captain and Polly step across the booby-trapped threshold and are relieved to be unharmed)''
-->'''Dex:''' "I meant throw something."
* ''Film/{{Aliens}}'': "I say we take off and [[JustForFun/HowtoInvadeanAlienPlanet nuke the entire site from orbit]]. It's the only way to be sure." And it wasn't that bad an idea because [[spoiler:every colonist save one was long since dead and the majority of the marines were either KIA or awaiting a FateWorseThanDeath. Not to mention everyone save the corporate stooge was 100% on board with denying [[MegaCorp Weyland-Yutani]] their murderous, murderous prize by this point.]]

* Justified in ''Film/{{Interstellar}}''. Their spacecraft has been damaged by ExplosiveDecompression and starts to spin at a rapid rate. The protagonists decide to dock regardless of the risk because the fate of the entire human race depends on their mission.
-->'''Cooper''': Get ready to match the Endurance's spin with the retro-thrusters.\\
'''Case''': It's not possible.\\
'''Cooper''': No... It's ''necessary''.

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* There are better methodologies of discerning the superiority of one thing over another, but that doesn't mean that [[Series/HarryHillsTVBurp Harry Hill]] doesn't have a [[DuelsDecideEverything personal favourite]].
* ''Series/TheEvent'' uses this trope like there's no tomorrow. Unless a character hasn't thought up "the only way" yet, in which case you can be sure they will insist "[[IndyPloy I'll find a way!!!]]" when pressed about the fact that they have no gameplan.

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[[folder: VideoGames]]

[[folder: WebComics]]

--> '''Galatea:''' ''I've set the ship to destroy itself!''\\

[[folder: WesternAnimation]]

-->'''J'onn J'onzz:''' It's the only way.
-->'''Dr Fate:''' Mmm...those words are always used to [[NecessarilyEvil justify destruction!]]
-->'''J'onn J'onzz:''' We can only guess how much power the android has amassed as it has worked its way across the galaxy. It has to be stopped, Fate! Here and now. Not just for the sake of this world, but for all worlds.
-->'''Dr Fate:''' Then for the ''sake'' of all worlds, I will continue to [[TakeAThirdOption seek a better way]].

* ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar:'' Thanos is convinced that the only way to solve the problem of limited resources is to kill half of all life. Other solutions such as doubling the resources don't occur to him, even as he acquires literally omnipotent means. WordOfGod says he ''could'' have found another way and gotten it done easily, but he has a point to prove and is blind to other possibilities.

* Subverted in ''Webcomic/TheInexplicableAdventuresOfBob'' when Galatea concludes [[http://bobadventures.comicgenesis.com/d/20101120.html her new invention has to be destroyed]] before it falls into the wrong hands.

* There are better methodologies of discerning the superiority of one thing over another, but that doesn't mean that [[Series/HarryHillsTVBurp Harry Hill]] doesn't have a personal favourite.

[[folder: VideoGames]]
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfMonkeyIsland'': [[spoiler:Spoken by Zombie Guybrush to a surprised Morgan near the end of Chapter 5, when he takes out [[ChekhovsGun his last shred of life]] and tosses it into the rip to close up the Crossroads, trapping the Pirate God [=LeChuck=] and allowing her and Elaine to use the CoupDeGrace on him simultaneously.]]
** Before that, De Cava says this in Chapter 3 when he says he's weaving the husks of Manatee Throat Grubs for an artificial cochlea, [[spoiler:unaware that the actual cochlea had been stolen by his own crew during the time they were in the manatee]].
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-->'''Mrs. Claus: Alright, enough of this! Now i hate to do this to you, but you leave me no choice! I'm going over your heads!'''
-->'''Snow Miser: You're kidding!'''
-->'''Heat Miser: You wouldn't dare!'''
-->'''Mrs. Claus: I can and i will!'''
-->'''Heat Miser: M-Mrs. Claus! Look what you did, you old blizzard! Now she's going to tell mother!'''
-->'''Snow Miser: What i did, you hot dog? This is your fault!'''

->'''Konrad Curze:''' There was no other way.\\

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40K:'' Konrad Kurze brought peace back to a lawless planet by basically becoming a combination of Batman and the Punisher, dismembering criminals and leaving their mutilated corpses as a warning to others. However, this only lasted as long as he was on the planet, and when he was taken by the Emperor the planet quickly fell back to its lawless ways, and Konrad was later called out for this.

-->'''Mrs. Claus: Alright, enough of this! Now i hate to do this to you, but you leave me no choice! I'm going over your heads!
-->'''Snow Miser: You're kidding!
-->'''Heat Miser: You wouldn't dare!
-->'''Mrs. Claus: I can and i will!
-->'''Heat Miser: M-Mrs. Claus! Look what you did, you old blizzard! Now she's going to tell mother!
-->'''Snow Miser: What i did, you hot dog? This is your fault!

* Subverted in ''ComicBook/BlueBeetle'' when Dani Garrett is about to fly her ship into a volcano, and Jaime asks if she's sure it can survive it.
--> '''Danni:''' Only one way to find out!
--> '''Jaime:''' No! No! There are other ways to "find out"! Like tests and experiments!
--> '''Danni:''' Oh, yeah. Sorry.

* ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'': King Triton says this before laying waste to Ariel's grotto, thinking it will end her obsession with the human world once and for all. It backfires horribly.

Compare with IDidWhatIHadToDo, the WellIntentionedExtremist's accessory after the fact. Compare also the correlated trope WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer. Less common is another character StatingTheSimpleSolution in response.

* Said by King Triton in ''Disney/TheLittleMermaid'', just before he destroys Ariel's grotto in a fit of blind rage.
-->'''Triton:''' So help me, Ariel, I ''will'' get through to you. And if this is the only way, '''''so be it'''''.

-->'''Dr Fate:''' Mmm...those words are always used to [[NecessaryEvil justify destruction!]]