History Main / SacrificialRevivalSpell

* The MMORPG in ''Manhwa/{{Yureka}}'' has the Sacrifice spell, which not only kills you but makes you lose levels and randomises your stats. And has a less than 100% success rate. However, one character manages to avoid AwesomeButImpractical by [[spoiler:using it on an NPC who loves her, causing him to enter an UnstoppableRage]].

* Toward the end of the ''Anime/{{Scryed}}'' anime, [[spoiler: Scherris Adjani finds and uses her "Eternal Devote" alter power on Ryuhou shortly after he's killed by BigBad Kyouji Mujo. His agony and gratitude upon seeing her deceased boost his power.]]

* ''VideoGame/Wizard101'': Upon completing Wizard City, Death wizards obtain the Sacrifice spell, which deals 250 damage to the caster in exchange for healing your target by 700 HitPoints. Unlike most examples, the player is allowed to heal themselves with this spell.

* An amusing but still touching instance of this occurs late in the Buu saga of ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. Old Kai gives Goku his remaining lifespan (by his estimate about a thousand years, which is nothing to a Kai) so Goku can return to Earth and assist in the fight against Buu. Old Kai drops dead... then gets back up a moment again, now sporting a halo, since he's already in Other World.

Compare HolyIsNotSafe (if the spell ''isn't'' BlackMagic), BalancingDeathsBooks (for when TheGrimReaper gets involved), HeroicSacrifice (for the non-magical form), SomeoneHasToDie, CastFromHitPoints (for when the caster needn't necessarily die), SharedLifeEnergy.

Compare HolyIsNotSafe (if the spell ''isn't'' BlackMagic), BalancingDeathsBooks (for when {{Death}} gets involved), HeroicSacrifice (for the non-magical form), SomeoneHasToDie, CastFromHitPoints (for when the caster needn't necessarily die), SharedLifeEnergy.

* The Grandmaster, one of Marvel Comics' Elders of the Universe, once challenged Death to a game with the life of fellow Elder the Collector as the stakes. After the Grandmaster won, Death revealed that the artifact the Grandmaster won would kill him to use. The Grandmaster went ahead and used it.

* In ''VideoGame/PokémonScarletandViolet'' Lunar Blessing and Healing Wish are 2 moves that revive a fallen ally to full health in exchange for knocking out the user. The most common user of this strategy is Cresselia, a [[StoneWall bulky stall Pokémon]].

** Kerplunk does this with everyone in your party that is dead. It also removes all of your MP so you can't just have your newly revived healer revive you so you can use it again.
** There's a MagicDance version of the spell. There is also a piece of equipment that automatically casts it once the character dies, but destroys itself in the process.

-->-- '''Azazel''', ''Series/{{Supernatural}}''

* In ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey : Heroes of Lagaard'', TheMedic can learn Phoenix, which fully revives their team at the cost of their own life.

* In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist'', [[spoiler:Ed is killed by Envy, then Alphonse transmutes his own life into Ed's, then Ed transmutes ''his'' life and body into Al's life and a new body for him, to boot. Alphonse can't repeat the process after that because Ed gets stuck in a parallel universe]].

* In some entries in the ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'' series, the Recarmdra spell will revive all fallen party members at the cost of killing the caster. In games where [[WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou the caster's death means game over]], it instead reduces their HPToOne.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', there is a Monk archetype that focuses on using ones own Ki energy to fuel healing magics, harming oneself in the process. At 20th level, said monk can sacrifice his own life to revive all his allies as per the ''True Resurrection'' spell. Taken UpToEleven, as in a world where DeathIsCheap, this technique not only kills the user beyond the power of mortal or ''deity'' magic, but also [[UnPerson eliminates all memories any other person has, and erases all written records of his/her existence]].

* In ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'', Lady Chiyo uses a secret reanimation jutsu to resurrect [[spoiler: Gaara]], [[RedemptionEqualsDeath but at the cost of her own life]].

* In ''ComicBook/{{Thorgal}}'', Thorgal is in a place with bright glowing strings all around him representing human lives. He will only get his life back if he cuts a single one, killing the person. He refuses, but Shaniah, the girl who'd followed him (and is desperately in love with him) cuts it herself. Thorgal gets back to life, but as they leave, she fades away, as it was her own lifeline she'd cut.

[[folder:Fan Fic]]
* The ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' fanfic ''A Bluebird's Song'' makes mention of a spell known as Death's Tally. If used shortly after someone dies, it can be used to bring them back at the cost of another's life, as well as partially heal them. Rarity recounts a story of a father who used it to save the life of his child. [[spoiler: After Rainbow Dash is critically injured, Twilight contemplates using it on herself if Dash doesn't make it, feeling like it's her fault for what happened. However, Celestia and her friends convince her to rethink that choice. When Dash does slip away, she's instead saved by Rainbow Shine, her long estranged unicorn mother, who decides to give her life in a final act to show Dash that she did love her. The spell leaves nothing of her behind save for four hoof-prints in the floor.]]

* The IncitingIncident of ''Literature/GrandmasterOfDemonicCultivationMoDaoZuShi'' is Mo Xuanyu summoning Wei Wuxian's soul to use Mo Xuanyu's body as a vessel to get revenge on his behalf which kills the mentally-troubled and abused summoner. [[spoiler: It's implied that Nie Huaisang indirectly manipulated Mo Xuanyu into finding said ritual.]]

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', there is a Monk archetype that focuses on using ones own Ki energy to fuel healing magics, harming oneself in the process. At 20th level, said monk can sacrifice his own life to revive all his allies as per the ''True Resurrection'' spell. Taken UpToEleven, as in a world where DeathIsCheap, this technique not only kills the user beyond the power of mortal or ''deity'' magic, but also [[UnPerson eliminates all memories any other person has, and erases all written records of his/her existence]].
* ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' has [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=false&multiverseid=129880 Doomed Necromancer]], which are sacrificed to bring back another card from the graveyard. Though judging by the illustration depicting the necromancer being throttled by the resurrectee, it's more like an example of TurnedAgainstTheirMasters.

* ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'': Kerplunk does this with everyone in your party that is dead. It also removes all of your MP so you can't just have your newly revived healer revive you so you can use it again.

* In ''VideoGame/Persona3'', [[spoiler: Chidori revives Junpei after he was shot by Strega, at the cost of her own life.]]

* ''VideoGame/LufiaTheRuinsOfLore'' has the Sacrifice skill, which kills the caster to heal the target to full HP. Unless you use it on yourself, in which case it just heals you to full HP. Presumably, it kills the user first and then heals the target, but the programmers forgot to put in code to prevent you from having the user use it on themself.
* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarII'' has the techniques Sak and Nasak, used by [[HalfHumanHybrid Nei]] and [[WhiteMage Amy]]. Both kill the caster, and the former fully heals one other party member; the latter fully heals the whole party. ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIII'' would bring back Nasak as an Order-based technique.
* ''VideoGame/QuestForGloryIV'' has Erana's Staff have this function, [[spoiler: Toby sacrifices himself to bring his UndeadChild master back to life as a human.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Borderlands 2}}'', Krieg's "Redeem the Soul" skill allows him to instantly revive a downed teammate in exchange for putting him in a downed state.
* In the ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' GameMod ''Brotherhood of Shadow: Solomon's Revenge'', [[spoiler: Koybayashi's mortal injuries are healed by Solomon]], who accepts death and becoming one with The Force as a proper punishment for his fall to the Dark Side. It is not only his way of atoning for his actions, [[spoiler: but his way of apologizing to and freeing his former padawan, Channa Mae, allowing her and Koybayashi to have a normal life.]]
* The Sacrifice L spell in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' can restore a player to full HP, even if they are knocked out. The trade off comes from the caster being inflicted with the Doom status, which will knock them out after 10 seconds and it can't be removed. The spell can only be used in the Eureka instance.
* ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' has Colette's Sacrifice spell. It revives any downed teammates, damages all enemies, and knocks Colette out. The AI will almost never attempt to cast this spell of its own accord.
* ''VideoGame/FellSealArbitersMark'' has the Pektite’s Coalesce spell, which kills its user in order to revive one ally with full HP, and gives the revived unit any buffs that the user had. There’s also the Templar’s Rapturous Chant, which fully heals all allies (but doesn’t actually revive anyone) and removes their debuffs at the cost of the user’s life.
* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': The "Last Rites" {{Necromanc|er}}y spell kills the caster but resurrects the target with full health (compared to the 20% from a Resurrection [[LimitedUseMagicalDevice Scroll]]). However, it works just as well if the caster uses other means to negate the instant-death effect.
* In ''VideoGame/EtrianOdyssey : Heroes of Lagaard'', TheMedic can learn Phoenix, which, like the aforementioned Recarmdra from ''Shin Megami Tensei'', fully revives their team at the cost of their own life.

** Later, [[spoiler:Nagato]] does this as well, but because his power makes him something close to a PhysicalGod, he's able to revive the ''several thousand [[spoiler:Konoha villagers]]'' he murdered with his strongest attack before expiring from it.
** [[spoiler:Madara]]'s original plan involved being revived by the above character, not anticipating his change of heart. He's able to compensate by using [[spoiler:Obito]], who has taken the [[spoiler:Rinnegan]] which grants the ability, as an [[VillainOverride unwilling sacrifice]]. Also a tragically subverted one since [[spoiler: Obito was planning on resurrecting everyone who died in the war with the Jutsu before Madara hijacked him.]]

* The IncitingIncident of ''Literature/MoDaoZuShi'' is Mo Xuanyu summoning Wei Wuxian's soul to use Mo Xuanyu's body as a vessel to get revenge on his behalf which kills the mentally-troubled and abused summoner. [[spoiler: It's implied that Nie Huaisang indirectly manipulated Mo Xuanyu into finding said ritual.]]

Compare HolyIsNotSafe (if the spell ''isn't'' BlackMagic), BalancingDeathsBooks (for when {{Death}} gets involved), HeroicSacrifice (for the non-magical form), SomeoneHasToDie, CastFromHitPoints (for when the caster needn't necessarily die).

Bob couldn't save Alice in time to prevent her death. After mourning her loss, he discovers that he has a revival spell (possibly a DangerousForbiddenTechnique) available to him. He uses it, and presto! [[BackFromTheDead She's alive again]]. But, suddenly Bob collapses and dies. It seems the spell required the user to [[CastFromHitPoints sacrifice his life]] to bring back that of another.

Rarely used in VideoGames (with the possible exception of cutscenes or some {{Roguelike}}s), since the stakes tend to be lower, considering that there are often [[TraumaInn some other ways]] of [[OnlyMostlyDead reviving party members]]. If it exists, its usually much more powerful than other such spells, like reviving the entire party.

* ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'': One of the setting's ''very'' few ways to restore a person to life is a Master-level [[{{Necromancer}} Death]]/[[WindsOfDestinyChange Fate]] spell that inescapably causes the mage to die -- by accident, murder, or simple heart attack -- as soon as it's cast.