History Main / PsychicStrangle

* In ''Android Karenina'', Alexei Karenin -- [[TheCorrupter egged on]] by [[CoolMask his Face]] -- inflicts this on his wife during their nastiest argument; for good measure, he actively slams her into the ceiling while doing so.

* ''Film/{{Lifeforce}}'': The Space Girl, played by an incredibly hot Mathilda May, goes into a FullFrontalAssault on the Space Center. A trio of hapless security guards attempt to stop her. The first one gets force choked into unconsciousness and the second one, continuing with the ''Franchise/StarWars'' references, is pretty much force-lighting'd out of the way. The last, older guard is scared out of his wits and does nothing as the Space Girl escapes the center into the night.

* ''TabletopGame/DarkHeresy'':
** This is a power available to Biomancer Psykers. They will the target's trachea to close, and it does so. Notably, it has no controllable off-switch and can't be dismissed by the psyker once started. Psykers hoping to pull a Vader with it had better either intend for their target to die, or hope the GM lets them succeed at a willpower check at a critical moment.

Also referred to as a "[[Franchise/StarWars Force-choke]]".

* ''LiteratureMoon1985'': A psychic SerialKiller invades the similarly psychic mind of computer technician Jonathan Childes, and eventually makes a link strong enough to stimulate bodily harm.

Sometimes, a villain will demonstrate his ([[EqualOpportunityEvil or her]]) power by having another character's life in their literal hands, via a NeckLift.

Sometimes, a villain will demonstrate ''a lot'' more power by doing this with no visible effort, by doing it with [[MindOverMatter the mind.]] That's this trope.

* Invictus of ''WesternAnimation/FinalSpace'' is fond of doing this to the Lord Commander [[BadBoss as a means of letting him know her displeasure over his plans.]]

* ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'': Ryougi Shiki does this [[spoiler:to a ghost in order to get her into knife range]].

** Darth Vader is the TropeCodifier, it being his favorite Force power and his SignatureMove. He especially likes to use it against those that have [[YouHaveFailedMe failed him for the last time]] and those whose lack of faith he finds disturbing, having originally done this in ''Film/ANewHope'' to Admiral Motti. This wasn't the ''first'' time he'd done it, either: In ''Film/RevengeOfTheSith'', [[spoiler:when he becomes convinced that Padmé betrayed him, he chokes her, causing injuries that lead to her death (according to a {{retcon}} of her cause of death in the {{novelization}}).]] Using it on Adm. Kendal Ozzel in ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' establishes he doesn't even need to be in the same room to do it, in this case choking out Ozzel on the bridge of the ''Executor'' from his personal meditation chamber. In the expanded universe the Force-choke essentially becomes Vader's SignatureMove (see below).

** In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', this is a class ability specific to the Sith Warrior, who is in many ways patterned after Darth Vader. The Sith Inquisitor gets [[ShockAndAwe Force lightning]] instead.

* In ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', [[AntiHero Neku]] did this to [[TheChick Shiki]] after being misled that she is the one who dragged him into the Reapers' Game. Fortunately he didn't go all the way with it.

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[[quoteright:340:[[Film/RogueOne https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/vader_strangle_rouge_one.png]]]]
[[caption-width-right:340:Vader's assault on the Rebels [[{{Pun}} hits a choke point]].]]

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* In the manga version of ''Anime/DragonBallSuper'', fused Zamasu did this to Goku and Vegeta at one point.

* ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'': Ryougi Shiki does this [[spoiler:to a ghost in order to get her into knife range]].

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fan-arts: Unicorns and Alicorns are gifted with telekinesis, so it should be no surprise you can fan-art of Force-chokes, [[https://derpibooru.org/images/574908 like this one with Princess Celestia on a royal guard]].

* ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainSeekerOfCrocus'': Dr. Yung commands his Mirage Mewtwo to do this to Chloe in an attempt to make her stop mouthing out at him.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePilgrimsProgress2019'': While he usually opts to dangle or throw someone around, Apollyon has psychic powers which he uses to beat up anyone who displeases him.

* Parodied in the Punyverse arc of ''WebComic/SluggyFreelance'' where Lord Grater actually doesn't have Force powers, but everyone pretends to choke when he makes the psychic strangle gesture because he thinks he does and its easier to play along.

'''Admiral Motti:''' [[BullyingADragon Your sad devotion to that ancient religion]] has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebels' hidden fort--\\

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* ''Webcomic/{{Sarilho}}'': How Nikita gets rid of [[spoiler:Márcia]].

'''Student:''' ''(clears throat)'' ...I'm sorry, I had a couple of tacos for dinner last night.

* ''[[Fanfic/TheUltimateEvil The Stronger Evil]]'': When Valerie annoys [[OracularHead Tarakudo]] enough, he pulls this on her until Drago grabs her.

'''Admiral Motti:''' Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebels' hidden fort--\\

** Anakin, Asajj Ventress and Savage Opress all frequently resort to choking their opponents through the Force. Anakin mainly uses it when his BerserkButton (his loved ones being endangered) is pushed. He also prefers it as a JackBauerInterrogationTechnique, such as in "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS2E8BrainInvaders Brain Invaders]]" while questioning Poggle the Lesser, who proves to be immune to his JediMindTrick. For Ventress, it seems more like a finishing and/or desperation attack, used only when she feels either confident with the outcome of the confrontation, or utterly outmatched. As for Savage, it's more-or-less his SignatureMove — he kills more people this way than with his lightsaber. He's fine with the "normal" bare-handed NeckSnap as well. Dooku also uses the Force to choke his enemies a couple of times.

* ''Fanfic/InfinityTrainSeekerOfCrocus'': Dr. Yung commands his Mirage Mewtwo to do this to Chloe in an attempt to make her stop mouthing out at her.

* Parodied (among ''many'' other ''Star Wars'' tropes) in the ''WesternAnimation/CodenameKidsNextDoor'' episode "Operation S.N.O.W.I.N.G." When [[spoiler:StudentCouncilPresident [=McGarfield=]]] pulls a FaceHeelTurn and even becomes a DarthVaderClone, in one instance he clenches his fist in anger at a minion student for [[DoNotCallMePaul misspeaking]], seemingly causing him to start choking and fall to his knees from the pain, but...

* ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean'': Jolyne Cujoh can use her Stand's string ability like this, wrapping up around a target's neck and choking the life out of them. For anyone not possessing a Stand (such as the hapless AmoralAttorney who betrays her trust early in the story), it appears as an invisible and intangible psychic force.

* ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'': A duty officer assignment available to Klingon Defense Force characters is titled "Experiment with Feasibility of Assassination Utilizing Telekinesis". Based on the required duty officers, this means [[ObligatoryWarCrimeScene experimenting with telekinetically strangling a prisoner]].

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fan-arts:
** Unicorns and Alicorns are gifted with telekinesis, so it should be no surprise you can fan-art of Force-chokes, [[https://derpibooru.org/images/574908 like this one with Princess Celestia on a royal guard]].
** ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls''[='=] Twilight Sparkle also gains telekinesis after ''Legend of Everfree'', [[so she too may turn to the dark side]].