History Main / LastBreathBullet

* A villain vs. villain example: In ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', BigBad Rourke betrays his right hand, Helga, and knocks her off his hot air getaway balloon. Right before she dies, she fires a FlareGun at the balloon in revenge igniting it and causing it to fall back to the ground, presumably crushing Helga in the process.

The above is the most common form of this trope, but a) it does not necessarily have to be a bullet; b) the villain does not have to die immediately afterward; and c) the scenario may just have been added [[RuleofDrama for the dramatic effect]] and the hero could [[NotQuiteDead pull through in the end]] ([[HealingHands likely]] [[SupportPartyMember due]] [[CombatMedic to]] [[TheRedMage aid]] [[TheMedic from]] [[WhiteMage a]] [[HealingShiv teammate]]). However, it is usually the last we ever see of the villain. This can also take the villainous form of a TakingYouWithMe depending on the circumstances.

When the villain does this, it can be a form of the DownerEnding, and a DiabolusExMachina. However, it is also it is also possible for a dying character to save the hero's life this way or even defeat the big bad with their last shot, which may make it their SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome. Occurs most frequently in action films. Can overlap with PostClimaxConfrontation, TakingYouWithMe, LastDitchMove (in video games) and/or with LoadBearingBoss. Compare with LastVillainStand, TakeAMomentToCatchYourDeath, and DeadMansSwitch.

* A flying dagger through [[spoiler:Empress Wan]] at the end of ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Banquet_%282006_film%29 The Banquet.]]''

* ''Film/CommandoesStrikeAtDawn'': A mortally-wounded Eric is still able to fling the grenade that wipes out the Germans in front of the town hall, allowing the commandos to rescue the hostages.

* ''VideoGame/Borderlands'': When a Vault Hunter's health reaches zero, they stumble to the floor, almost defeated, and have a limited window to kill something with limited mobility and no action skills. If they get a kill, it gives them a Second Wind and they revive. If they don't, they die for real.

* While Handsome Jack isn't the target of the [[spoiler:Angel Core]] boss fight in ''VideoGame/Borderlands2'', he still shows up to [[spoiler:shoot Roland in the back]] before promising to murder everyone the Vault Hunters have ever spoken to in retribution.

* This happens to [[spoiler:Meer, the fake Lacus]] in ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSeedDestiny''. In this case, it overlaps with [[spoiler: HeroicSacrifice and TakingTheBullet, as the bullet was meant for the real Lacus.]]

* While Handsome Jack isn't the target of the [[spoiler: Angel Core]] boss fight in ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'', he still shows up to [[spoiler:shoot Roland in the back]] before promising to murder everyone the Vault Hunters have ever spoken to in retribution.
* ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'': Stupid Last Stand perk...
** Martyrdom is even worse as it gives players last breath ''grenades''.

** Subverted in the ending of ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare''. [[spoiler:Soap lives]].
* [[PlayingWithATrope Related to]] the ending of ''VideoGame/CallOfJuarez'' - [[spoiler:the final boss gets up after being shot to try to stab Young Protagonist, and the player has to fire off the Old Protagonist's Last Breath Bullet to stop it.]]
* In ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar 2: The Last Stand'' the Ork Mekboy can equip a piece of wargear that creates a large explosion when he dies.
* ''VideoGame/Destiny2'': One cinematic shows that, shortly after becoming a [[TheChosenMany Guardian]], Commander Zavala died his first death when a [[InsectoidAliens Fallen]] he had mortally wounded managed to pull its sidearm and shoot him InTheBack as it died. Since Guardians have ResurrectiveImmortality, this did nothing but slow Zavala down.

* This can happen in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' if you fail to pass all the checks required to keep Miranda alive through the Sanctuary mission. Shepard convinces Henry Lawson to let Oriana go, and he demands freedom in return. Miranda refuses and hits him with a biotic punch that sends him flying through a window, but in the last moment before he goes crashing to his death he fires a bullet that hits Miranda and kills her.
** It can also happen during actual gameplay. [[SmashMook Brutes]] perform one last sweeping melee attack upon death that is powerful enough to destroy Shepard's shields or barriers instantly and deal potentially fatal damage if Shep's protection was already down. While not much of a problem for most classes, Vanguards can be in for a nasty surprise if they fail to step back from the collapsing monster in time to avoid the hit.

* Enemy mooks in ''Franchise/JamesBond: VideoGame/EverythingOrNothing'' will often fire off one last shot before falling dead.
* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' series:

* It happens in ''VideoGame/{{Mega Man X}}5'', in the ending: [[spoiler:Sigma starts it by shooting X and Zero at the same time with a back attack. Zero has enough power left to give a parting counterattack as he fades away, finishing Sigma off.]]
** In ''X8'', where [[spoiler: Lumine]] hits Axl with a tentacle from his wrecked body before Zero cuts it and X blasts [[spoiler: Lumine]] to smithereens.

* Attempted in ''VideoGame/TheEvilWithin2''; as [[spoiler: Stefano]] lays dying after Sebastian finally finishes him off in his boss fight, he appears to be going out quietly, remarking that Sebastian's [[spoiler: made him into the kind of gory masterpiece he's always strived to achieve by killing people and turning them into his photo subjects.]] Sebastian turns to leave, but [[spoiler: Stefano picks up his MagicalCamera that stops time and allows him to kill without any resistance and tries to take "one last photo" -- Sebastian swiftly turns back around and puts a bullet in his head.]]
* ''Franchise/AceAttorney'':
** ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyJusticeForAll'' features a subverted example: [[spoiler: Dr. Turner Gray gets stabbed in the chest by his former nurse Mimi Miney, but survives long enough to pull out his gun and shoot her, but misses. She then takes the gun from him to finish him off.]]
** Somewhat present in ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyTrialsAndTribulations''; in Mia's first case, she's just about to catch the real killer, but [[spoiler:then the defendant kills himself on the stand using poison given to him by the real killer.]]

* Played perfectly straight during the Leon A scenario in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2''. [[spoiler: Annette Birkin, despite apparently having no vital signs when Leon checks her not-quite-dead body, has enough stamina left to shoot Ada Wong from behind before finally dying.]]

* E-101 Beta from ''VideoGame/SonicAdventure'' doesn't breathe, but he still fulfils the trope by getting off one last shot at his brother E-102 Gamma before exploding. Gamma ultimately succumbs to the resulting damage, in one of the biggest {{Tear Jerker}}s in the entire Sonic franchise.
* Andross in ''VideoGame/StarFox 64'': "If I go down, I'm TakingYouWithMe!"

* PlayedForLaughs in ''Manga/SpyXFamily'': The opening scene of one of the bonus chapters starts with a NotQuiteDead {{mook}} getting the drop on [[ProfessionalKiller Yor]] during one of her jobs. It initally appears serious... until the next page reveals that Yor is fine; she just got ShotInTheAss and the rest of the chapter is a comedic story about her trying to hide the wound from her family despite the pain preventing her from sitting down normally.

* Played straight in Lucio Fulci's ''Film/{{Contraband}}'', where one of the main villains gets a bullet to the throat courtesy of one of the good guys, who was machine-gunned by his henchmen a few moments earlier.

* In the after-credits epilogue of ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter: Logan's Shadow'', DarkChick Trinidad guns down Logan, Teresa, and Mujari, but Logan kills her before passing out. It is unknown whether he is KilledOffForReal or not.

* Subverted in ''Lightnovel/FullMetalPanic'', where Zaied unexpectedly still had enough life to be able to aim his gun at Sousuke and tell Sousuke that the person who has remaining ammunition is the winner. Sousuke is shown wincing and waiting for the impact, but instead, Zaied lifted the gun and shot the remaining ammunition into the sky before dying. It's left ambiguous whether he deliberately spared his old friend, or just didn't have the energy left to aim properly.

* In the after-credits epilogue of ''VideoGame/SyphonFilterLogansShadow'', DarkChick Trinidad guns down Logan, Teresa, and Mujari, but Logan kills her before passing out. It is unknown whether he is KilledOffForReal or not.

* The krall from ''[[VideoGame/UnrealI Unreal]]'' often try to get off one last shot before they die, usually while attempting to crawl towards you.

The Last Breath Bullet is probably one of the deadliest attacks in fiction. {{Mentors}}, {{Love Interests}}, [[TheRival Rivals]] and {{Heroes}} alike have all fallen to its power; no armor, [[PlotArmor Plot]] or otherwise can defend against it.

* ''Franchise/ZeroEscape'':