History Main / ReusableLighterToss

'''Note: As a potential DeathTrope there may be spoilers ahead!'''

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

This can often be a DeathTrope as it can result in a person being lit on fire. Usually a subtrope of RuleOfCool.

* In ''Film/{{Hatchet}}'', Ben tosses Misty's zippo at Victor Crowley to turn him into a ManOnFire after first dousing him in gasoline.

* ''Film/TheBeekeeper'' tosses one in the trailer for the film.

* "VideoGame/MafiaTheCityOfLostHeaven" Tommy tosses a lighter into a pool of gas in a warehouse filled with red explosive barrels to finally finish off a lucky bastard that has escaped death in almost every other way.

* One of the apes in ''Film/DawnOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' tosses a zippo (taken from a human) [[spoiler: to incite bad relations between apes and man.]]

But this trope doesn't just need a light, it needs a light that stays lit when you toss it. Disposable lighters do not stay lit by design, as a safety measure. A cigarette, cigar, or flare just doesn't fit the scene (and the former two [[RealityIsUnrealistic don't actually burn hot enough to ignite gasoline]]). A match [[HardToLightFire might go out before it lights the fire]]. So what do you do? [[BrandNameTakeover Zippo]] to the rescue! Zippo lighters have a distinctive design that was originally based on a similar Austrian lighter made by IMCO. It is "windproof" (as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighter described]] by Website/TheOtherWiki) and uses a wick and oil to keep the flame lit until you close the top. They have been in use for decades, but this trope seems to be relatively new.

* ''Series/TheHauntingOfHillHouse'': Tossed to start a fire in episode 8[[spoiler:, but the fire does not start despite there being a pool of gas.]]

* In ''VideoGame/SpyFiction'' a lighter is tossed [[spoiler: to kill the BigBad in the [[MultipleEndings True Ending]],]] ''Film/DieHard2'' style.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode Delorean Story-An, Steve tosses a lighter on a trail of gas to replicate a moment from ''Film/BackToTheFuture''.

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': Weaponized by [[ColonelBadass Colonel Roy Mustang]]. After [[OurHomunculiAreDifferent Lust]] manages to wet his special ignition cloth gloves which he needs to use his [[PlayingWithFire fire alchemy]], Roy uses [[AlchemyIsMagic alchemy]] to separate hydrogen from water. When the room where Lust is has filled with hydrogen, Roy takes Havoc's lighter and throws it in causing a huge gas explosion. The lighter is of course ruined, and since it was a gift from his ex-girlfriend, this even gets {{Lampshaded}} by Havoc afterwards.

* In ''Film/TheDry'', the killer douses himself in petrol and then drops his own Zippo in his lap in an attempt to commit suicide by becoming a ManOnFire. Obviously, in this case, he felt he was never going to need the lighter again.

* One of the characters in ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} Twilight Saga: Eclipse]]'' tosses a lighter on a dead vampire to burn her up completely.

** In the episode "Burned", a pyro attempts to light someone on fire by tossing a lit zippo but Arrow in typical hero fashion fires an arrow at mid flight. It is still gone and never recovered.

** In another 16th episode of season 5, Jesse casually tosses a zippo into a car filled with lighter fluid to destroy dna evidence [[spoiler: so a dirty banker can be "dead" and disapear]]
** In the second to last episode of the series Fiona tosses a Zippo lighter like it is a simple match [[spoiler: to burn down Michael's mom's place.]]

* ''Series/TheLastOfUs2023'': Theresa combines a few fire tropes as she drops her zippo in a puddle of fuel and explosives [[spoiler: to immolate herself and as many infected as she can so they won't follow Joel and Ellie.]]

* In ''Film/AmericanUltra'' the character of Laugher tosses gas on a car, then tosses a lit Zippo after it to "do something bad".[[note]][[spoiler]]Mike is still in the car when he does this.[[/spoiler]][[/note]]

* ''Series/CowboyBebop2021''. In "Blue Crow Waltz", Vicious tortures and murders a member of the rival Neptune Cartel, setting the body and fire using this trope. It's a sign of his stupidity as the slow motion shot of the lighter flying through the air shows it's ''marked with the Syndicate crest!'' All Vicious has done is spark a MobWar.

But this trope doesn't just need a light, it needs a light that stays lit when you toss it. Disposable lighters do not stay lit by design, as a safety measure. A cigarette, cigar, or flare just doesn't fit the scene (and the former two [[RealityIsUnrealistic don't actually burn hot enough to ignite gasoline]]). A match [[HardToLightFire might go out before it lights the fire]]. So what do you do? [[BrandNameTakeover Zippo]] to the rescue! Zippo lighters have a distinctive design that was originally based on a similar Austrian lighter made by IMCO. It is "windproof" (as [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighter described]] by Wiki/TheOtherWiki) and uses a wick and oil to keep the flame lit until you close the top. They have been in use for decades, but this trope seems to be relatively new.