History Main / Retirony

* {{Lampshaded}} and parodied in ''Kidou Senshi Gundam San''. [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam The original TV series and movie]] have one of Char's comrades killed off during atmospheric entry. In the parody version, just before they launch, the same soldier shows Char a picture of his sweetheart and tells him they're planning to get married once the war is over. Char attempts to stop him, to no avail. Cut to the unfortunate victim plunging to earth, and Char going "I knew it."

* In the ''{{Punisher}}'' graphic novel ''Born'', Stevie is down to "thirty-nine days and a wake-up" before he can leave Vietnam behind for good. You can guess what happens to him by the story's end.

* In the second-to-last episode of the first season of ''Manga/SailorMoon'', the girls decide not to say any "just in case" goodbyes before fighting the final battle, instead choosing to think about where their lives will take them afterward. By the end of the episode, all but the title character are dead. On the other hand, [[BackFromTheDead they get better]].

* Subverted in ''LastExile'': a soldier mentions that he only needs two more battle survival medals to retire, right before a hopeless battle in which it's clear that everyone is going to die. The battle is then cancelled, and the soldier survives. Subverted even more when that same soldier develops a relationship with a former enemy and makes a promise with her that they would both survive; later he appears to die after having saved the day, complete with all the trappings you would normally expect from this sort of death scene...and then, at the end of the last episode, he is shown to still be alive and living with that former enemy.

* In the first episode of ''SoukouNoStrain'', the Grabera students are preparing to graduate and become glorious HumongousMecha pilots just like Sara's brother. Guess who swoops in and kills everyone but Sara.

** In the first episode, as they face the Crimson Knight, Black Knight (), poor, faceless armoured Utu completely out of the blue says he will go home and get married "just after they finish the battle with Crimson Knight, Black Knight." This despite having gone through many battles before this, without saying anything. [[LeeroyJenkins He then charges straight at the Black/Crimson Knight by himself and gets skewered.]] Then, to show there is no possibility that he could have survived, there's a SayMyName moment (UTUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!) as well as an ''on-screen text which says "Utu has died".''

* In an early chapter of ''[[TwentiethCenturyBoys 20th Century Boys]]'', a legendary police detective collapses in the street and dies when he is just one week away from retirement (While on his way to his grandson's birthday party, no less). In this case, there is a reason for the timing. He had just passed on a case he had been working on to a trusted colleague. Unfortunately for him, the colleague was actually working for the enemy and decided HeKnowsTooMuch.

* The ''MajinTanteiNougamiNeuro'' anime has a policeman obsessed with {{Cop Show}}s who attempts to [[InvokedTrope invoke]] this trope on himself through a complicated plot involving killing cops which he frames a criminal for. It doesn't work.

* The ''RecordOfLodossWar'' OVA includes a random unnamed soldier of the Holy Kingdom of Valis in the episode "The War of Heroes." At the beginning of the episode Parn notices a pendant on his neck, and the soldier says it was a gift from his son for good luck. At the end of the episode, when the battle is over, amongst the dead the pendant is found on a soldier's corpse, presumably the RedShirt from the beginning.

* A very strange subversion and something of a TearJerker in retrospect: Huang's griping during the end of the first season of ''DarkerThanBlack''. He complains about having to schlep people around and says he's going to retire and spend the rest of his life fishing, and shortly afterward Hei somewhat jokingly tells him to quit smoking, since it'll shorten his life. He dies shortly afterward after [[DyingMomentOfAwesome luring the Syndicate agents following him into a car chase, but it's shown at the last minute that ''he'd already been shot''. He knew he was dying during his talk about retiring, and in all likelihood Hei did as well.]]
* ''{{Gundam 0083}}'' combines {{Retirony}} with HisNameIs to make it blindingly obvious that the character in question is gonna bite it. South Burning opens an episode with his annual physical, where the doctor comments that he should consider retiring soon. Later in the episode Burning muses on getting in touch with his estranged wife after the Zeon remnants are defeated. That's when the HisNameIs element kicks in...
* ''TheGalaxyRailways II'', episode 10. A plague is accidentally released on a planet. Two people there are going to get married. You can guess what happens.

* In ''MuhyoAndRoji'', two Arcanum guards, Furuya and Iwamoto are about to get married and leave the Arcanum, which Iwamoto is quite eager to do. [[spoiler:Furuya has already been killed and impersonated by Face-Ripper Sophie, who then kills Iwamoto]].

* One episode of ''{{Madlax}}'' featured an assassin going on one last job before retiring - to kill Carrossea Doon. He fails and is killed by Limelda.
* Played to the hilt in episode 4 of ''{{Katanagatari}}'', where the show goes far, far out of its way to build up viewer sympathy with a ninja mook goes on for several minutes about his plans to go home and get married after this one last mission, only to have one of the protagonists brutally kill him.

* Subverted in ''SamuraiSeven'' by Shichiroji. He has a fiance, and fully intends to marry her when he returns from his OneLastJob. He is one of the three Samurai who survives the series.
* In Anime/VoltesV, [[spoiler: General Oka]] dies in the same episode when he decides to retire.

NOTE: [[ItsPronouncedTroPAY this trope is pronounced "RETIRE-ON-KNEE",]] though some first see it and think it's pronounced like "{{Retcon}}" because it has a similar letter pattern at first glance.

See also TemptingFate, FatalFamilyPhoto, IfWeGetThroughThis, NothingCanStopUsNow, NothingCanSaveUsNow and ResignationsNotAccepted.

Related to YankTheDogsChain. Contrast CrusadingWidower, where the one to die is the cop's family.

For the equivalent in material goods, see some variants of ActionInsuranceGag.

* Billy the Kid in ''TheExpendables2'' planned to retire from the team and reunite with his girl in Paris after the upcoming mission that the movie revolves around. Ross, in a somewhat GenreSavvy moment, tries to insist that he take his earnings so far and head off to Paris right away, but Billy insists on tagging along anyhow. The Kid doesn't make it.

* Billy the Kid in ''TheExpendables2'' planned to retire from the team and reunite with his girl in Paris after the upcoming mission that the movie revolves around. Ross, in a somewhat GenreSavvy moment, tries to insist that take his earnings so far and head off to Paris right away, but Billy insists on tagging along anyhow. The Kid doesn't make it.

* In ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', Joe Carey (the engineer who was shuffled aside in favor of B'Elanna Torres) would disappear for episodes - and seasons - at a time, only making appearances in flashback or alternate-reality episodes. In the late-seventh season episode "Friendship One", he shows up again, lamenting that he's one nacelle away from completing a model of ''Voyager'', as well as discussing his family. He is then killed on an away mission by the alien-of-the-week. Interestingly, Carey is the final on-screen casualty from ''Voyager'' in the series - the crew makes it back home just a couple episodes later.
* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', O'Brien is brought to trial by the Cardassians, who are framing him and trying to tie him to the Maquis. His lawyer later tells Odo that he is only a year to retirement and does not want this trial screwed up. At the end, he actually wins the trial and fearfully says "[[YouHaveFailedMe They'll kill me...]]"

* An early episode of ''[[Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries Star Trek]]'' opens with Kirk presiding over the wedding of two ensigns. Just before he can pronounce them man and wife, a red alert sounds, forcing them to abort the ceremony. The rest of the episode deals with the Enterprise battling a Romulan ship. At the end of the episode, Kirk asks if any of the crew were killed. It turns out that everyone on the ship survived -- ''except'' the guy who was about to get married.

*** [[VideoGame/MassEffect3 Moved to Earth,]] you say? In the opening of ''Mass Effect 3'' Earth is being invaded. Thus, moving his family to Earth, and he likely followed them himself after 2, as he did not appear in Shepard's crew for a second round in 3... [[Main/BlackComedy Well, at least he doesnt have to worry about his family any more.]]

** And again, later in the episode, after the [[DefeatMeansFriendship earlier-defeated]] Crimson Knight, Black Knight saves the protagonist because he's TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou, the Crimson Knight, Black Knight makes the mistake of ''saying the exact same thing'', and suffers ''the exact same fate'' via ''dragonfire''. Finally, in the protagonist's final confrontation with the BigBad, the BigBad says it too.

* ''DragonBallZAbridged'' has Zarbon wanting to call his girlfriend to see where they were going to spend their one-year anniversary together. Vegeta blows his load all over his insides.

* In ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'', O'Brien is brought to trial by the Cardassians, who are framing him and trying to try him to the Maquis. His lawyer later tells Odo that he is only a year to retirement and does not want this trial screwed up. At the end, he actually wins the trial and fearfully says "[[YouHaveFailedMe They'll kill me...]]"

* In Anime/VoltesV, the BigBad does not care if his own troops get within range of his DoomsdayDevice, as long as Voltes V is defeated.

* In ''Film/FallingDown'', Martin Prendergast, the cop who is investigating Bill Foster's violent breakdown is retiring that very day (and the other detectives joke that he's bound to killed today) [[spoiler:but it's subverted; he survives, and his encounter with Foster makes him decide not to retire after all.]]

** Another episode dealt with a wounded soldier who switched his dogtags with a dead friend to get out, only react poorly in a blood transfusion [[ABNegative because the blood on the dog tags wasn't his blood type]].

* Parodied in the ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' ''StarWars'' episode, where one of the rebels killed by stormtroopers says "Damn, i was two days from retirement!" as he collapses.

* Played with in ''{{Apollo 13}}''. In an interview, James Lovell remarks that Apollo 13 will be his third and final mission. planning to close an impressive career with finally walking on the Moon. Instead, his spacecraft blows up halfway to the Moon. Miraculously, he and his crew survive and return to Earth safely,though sadly, he never gets to walk on the Moon.

* Subverted in ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'', where all of the crew are on their last mission, due to retire in a matter of months. None of them die.
** How many of them [[TenMinuteRetirement actually retired]] after this mission? How many of them hadn't [[DeathIsCheap already died]] by then?
** ''StarTrekGenerations'' really played with this one. The film's prologue begins with an already retired Captain Kirk aboard the maiden voyage of the brand new ''Enterprise''-B. The voyage is a nondescript quick lap around the solar system; it and Kirk's presence (along with Scotty and Chekhov) are solely for the sake of the news crews. Naturally, the underequipped ''Enterprise'' has to respond to an emergency crisis, and Kirk "dies" repairing critical damage to the deflectors.
*** This was kind of the fate of the starship ''Enterprise'' herself in ''TheWrathOfKhan'' and ''TheSearchForSpock''. After completing two historic five-year missions and being upgraded into the Federation's flagship, the ''Enterprise'' was removed from active duty and instead made a training vessel. On a routine training cruise the ship is blasted nearly to scrap by a vengeful madman, and is destroyed outright in the sequel.

* In the ''SouthPark'' episode "Black Friday," Old Cap says that he promised his wife this would be the last Black Friday he worked mall security. He doesn't even make it until Thanksgiving before a crazed shopper kills him.

* Played with in ''Film/Apollo13''. In an interview, James Lovell remarks that Apollo 13 will be his third and final mission. Walking on the Moon is supposed to be the crowning moment to his astronaut career. Instead, his spacecraft blows up halfway to the Moon. Miraculously, he and his crew survive and return to Earth safely,though sadly, he never gets to walk on the Moon.

* Subverted in ''MemphisBelle''. The entire crew is on their last mission. They make it back in one piece.

* Billy the Kid in ''TheExpendables 2'' planned to retire from the team and reunite with his girl in Paris after the upcoming mission that the movie revolves around. Ross, in a somewhat GenreSavvy moment, tries to insist that take his earnings so far and head off to Paris right away, but Billy insists on tagging along anyhow. The Kid doesn't make it.

* Detective Jerry Black is all set to retire, before he makes... ''The Pledge''. He doesn't die, technically speaking, but it is still a tragedy.
* In ''WeWereSoldiers'', a soldier gleefully announces that his wife is due to give birth that day. Shortly thereafter, he is mortally wounded by napalm.
* When the older flight attendant in ''SnakesOnAPlane'' says that she decided to make one last flight before retirement, you know she's a goner. It's averted with the other female flight attendant, though. It's her last flight before leaving to study law. However, the combined force of the two having their "one last flight" at the same time is probably what really unleashed thousands of snakes on the plane.

* Against all odds, the exception comes through for SFC. Troy Barlow in the film ''ThreeKings''. During his little adventure in post-Gulf War Iraq, Barlow is shot (while wearing a kevlar vest), exposed to tear gas, captured by Iraqis, brutally tortured, shot ''again'' (sans the vest), and still survives to go home to his wife and daughter (who are brought up frequently). As for his [[SouthernFriedPrivate Southern-accented friend]] who, self-admittedly, has no family to go home to? Not so fortunate.
* Taken to ridiculous heights to lampoon the idea in ''HotShots''. One character, [[MeaningfulName appropriately named "Dead Meat" Thompson]] receives a visit from his wife as he's preparing to fly a training mission, and what follows is an enormous list of things he has to live for, including his beautiful wife, that he's carrying his (unsigned) life insurance papers with him, and that he's figured out the real culprits in the Kennedy assassination but hasn't told anyone and has the evidence on him.

* In ''LettersFromIwoJima'', the one named Japanese soldier who survives is the one who was forced to leave his pregnant wife behind when he was called up and has never seen his daughter.

* In ''FortApache'' (John Ford's 1948 film, loosely based on Custer's Last Stand), Captain Sam Collingwood is trying to get moved from Fort Apache to an instructing position at West Point. When his wife finally gets the letter saying that his transfer went through, he is riding off with the regiment to confront the Apaches. Someone tells her to go, to run and tell him that he should come back, but she says "Sam isn't a coward", and then twists the knife by handing the letter back to the message-boy, saying "Keep it. For the captain's return."

* ''InBruges'': Harry leaves his loving family near Christmas to hunt down Ray; Ray has struck up a beautiful romance with a beautiful Belgian drug dealer. Their numbers are up, safe to say.
* ''DrugstoreCowboy''. Bob is killed just as he was getting over his drug addiction and going clean.
* The end of ''CarlitosWay''. Carlito is on his way to escaping his life of crime for good when he's killed over an earlier slight. Shamelessly ripped off by ''LayerCake''...
* At the end of ''LayerCake'', the character decides to leave the drug business with a nice nest egg only to get shot by his new girlfriend's jealous ex. Whether or not he survives in the film is open to interpretation.

* ''ImGonnaGitYouSucka'': Two extras (a man and a woman) are talking, with the man holding the woman's hands. A minor villain opens fire with a machine gun, killing the man. Later the woman pulls a box (with a ring inside) out of his pocket and puts the ring on her finger, saying "I waited 12 years for this!". He had been proposing marriage to her: the ring was an engagement ring.

* Michael Mann's film ''PublicEnemies'', turns the [[ForegoneConclusion death of John Dillinger]] into one of these.

* ''NoCountryForOldMen'' averts this trope with Sheriff Bell, who is close to retirement throughout the movie. In the end, he retires, and is one of only two characters to survive.
* ''EightBelow'' actually had this happen with a ''dog''. Old Jack was introduced in the beginning of the movie as having "just turned ten and getting ready for retirement." Naturally he is one of the two dogs that does not survive.
* ''TheCannonballRun'' plays this in retrospect. J.J. is telling Pamela about all the things his father was going to do when he retired, then adds "He died two days before he was supposed to retire."
* The remake of ''[[TheItalianJob2003 The Italian Job]]'' has John Bridger mention that the opening heist [[OneLastJob will be his last]]. Guess what happens.

* In ''BrooklynsFinest'', Officer Eddie Dugan has only two weeks till retirement. Subverted, as he survives, just barely.

* ''RedTails'' features Lightning, the only main character to die in the film who is shot down just days before he's going to marry his fiancee.

* Subverted in ''{{Cellular}}''. The cop Mooney was on his last day on job, but he managed to survive through the end of the film.

* The 2013 {{CBC}} movie ''[[Film/{{Jack2013}} Jack]],'' about [[CanadaEh Canadian]] [[CanadianPolitics politician]] Jack Layton, emphasizes this aspect of Jack's political career. He never got to spend much time as opposition leader, nor officially declare his political career finished before stepping down from his position as opposition leader, before dying.