History Main / Seppuku

Seppuku is a centuries-old Japanese rite of suicide -- literally, ''stomach cutting''. ''Harakiri'', often misspelled as "hari-kari" (or further bastardized into "Harry Carry" by Westerners, not to be confused with baseball announcer HarryCaray), is a more vulgar term for the same thing. How and why seppuku is to be performed, what it means, and so on depends on the historical era, gender, and context. TheThemeParkVersion, however, is this:

Compare LeaveBehindAPistol and BathSuicide.

->"I'm sorry. i'll go be An Hero now..."

[[caption:I'm sorry. I'll go be An Hero now...]]

[[I'm sorry. I'll go be An Hero now...]]

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seppukuS.jpg]][[caption: I'm sorry, I'll go be An hero now...]]

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seppukuS.jpg]] [[caption: I'm sorry, I'll go be An hero now...]]

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seppukuS.jpg caption: I'm sorry, I'll go be An hero now...]]

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seppukuS.jpg
caption: I'm sorry, I'll go be An hero now...]]

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seppukuS.jpg]]
[[caption: I'm sorry, I'll go be An hero now...]]

* ''LegendOfTheFiveRings'', set in a FantasyCounterpartCulture to medieval Japan, naturally has seppuku as a plot element, and several cards and even basic game mechanics in the CollectibleCardGame revolve around it. The most notable character to commit seppuku within the storyline was Emperor Toturi I, who did so to purify his soul of the Lying Darkness' corruption.

** During the Battle of Saipan, over 10,000 civilians committed ritual suicide under the direction of Hirohoto, rather than be taken captive by U.S forces. Over 5000 Japanese soldiers also committed suicide.

*** Roman nobles in general, in fact, were expected to commit suicide to avoid shame or to redress big wrongs. This is where the idiom ''to fall on one's sword'' ultimately originated.ürgen Möllemann in 2003 . He was well known for his love of parachuting, which he had frequently used for publicity in his electio
* A highly unusual form of suicide was chosen by german politican Jn campaigns. He was just about to board a plane for a jump when he was informed that police was raiding his office and home on charges of corruption. Apparently he chose not to open his parachute.

* In ''{{Basilisk}},'' [[spoiler:Oboro stabs herself to death rather than killing her love interest Gennosuke ''and'' continue as a puppet of SmugSnake Ofuku, whose XanatosGambit would be successful if she killed him. After her death, Gennosuke commits suicide with the same sword she used to commit suicide, holding Oboro's lifeless body in his own arms.]]

* In the Chinese manhua, Ravages of Time (an adaptation of the ''{{Romance of the three Kingdoms}}''), the idea of a ritualized suicide to redeem yourself is mocked by several characters. The ultimate example would be, [[spoiler: Lu Bu, once he was defeated by Cao Cao and was about to be executed. He was even willing to bow and beg for his life at random spectators. Cao Cao respected him for that since it take more courage to live than to die. The only reason it didn't work was because Liu Bei pointed out his ChronicBackStabbingDisorder to Cao Cao.]]

* Parodied in the Latin-American comic strip ''{{Mafalda}}'':

** It becomes absolutely hilarious when the assistant warden in the dub shouts:

* As you would expect, {{seppuku}} is a Very SeriousBusiness Indeed in ''{{Shogun}}''; [[spoiler: Blackthorne's]] attempt at seppuku is a life-changing event that wins him the respect of the other samurai, and Toranaga's entire XanatosGambit hangs or falls on [[spoiler:Mariko's]] {{seppuku}}.

* Cio-Cio-San in the [[TearJerker tear-jerking]] finale of the opera ''MadameButterfly'', using the ceremonial dagger presented to her father by the Mikado.

* In 1970, the nationalist author [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukio_Mishima Yukio Mishima]] visited a Self-Defence Force base in Tokyo and, together with his private army, the Tatenokai, took the commander hostage. From the balcony of the commander's office, Mishima gave a speech urging the soldiers to overthrown the government and restore the powers of the Emperor, but they mocked him. He then went inside and committed {{seppuku}}. Mishima's biographer believes that the coup attempt was simply a pretext for the act of {{seppuku}}, which he had been secretly planning for at least a year.

*** Roman nobles in general, in fact, were expected to commit suicide to avoid shame or to redress big wrongs. This is where the idiom ''to fall on one's sword'' ultimately originated.
* A highly unusual form of suicide was chosen by german politican Jürgen Möllemann in 2003 . He was well known for his love of parachuting, which he had frequently used for publicity in his election campaigns. He was just about to board a plane for a jump when he was informed that police was raiding his office and home on charges of corruption. Apparently he chose not to open his parachute.

Time to send a message. Those ''gaijin'' may say it with flowers, but samurai say it with bowels. Their own.

** This is taken to extreme levels in the live-action adaption. Not only does she kill herself, she destroys the entire world.

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* In ''{{Naruto}},'' Kakashi's father Sakumo commits seppuku, having failed a mission as a result of going to save his friends, and being ostracized for his failure, ''even by those he saved'' (the act is not witnessed, but a young Kakashi finds his father's body after the deed is done). In a filler episode, Koumei is ordered to commit seppuku as the sentence for being behind the cursed warrior incidents [[spoiler:despite being innocent]]. Later in the arc, in a flashback [[spoiler:Toki, seeing her brother dying, contemplates committing seppuku, but his spirit inspires her to keep on living]].

* Occasionally crops up in games of ''TeamFortress2'' thanks to the Soldier's new suicide taunt: When a round ends, the losing team loses their weapons, granting free kills to any nearby winners. However, they can still taunt. Any Soldiers who had the Equalizer out at the time are liable to kill themselves to avoid adding another point to the opposing team, and occasionally manage to [[TakingYouWithMe add a point to their own]] in the bargain.

** Worf's brother, Kor asks that Worf assist him in performing this ritual after Worf dishonors his family in {{Deep Space Nine}}. Dax realizes Worf's intent and tries to stop it, just a moment too late. Odo claims that Worf could be charged with murder if Kor doesn't survive.

* ''DeathNote'' (anime only): The final moments of the last episode show us [[spoiler:that Misa Amane, whose existence is invalidated by Light/Kira's defeat, walks off the ledge of some tall building and throws self off, kills herself.]] Not to mention [[spoiler:Teru Mikami, who manages to do this with ''[[ImprobableWeaponUser a normal pen]]'', resulting in rather bizarre HighPressureBlood]].

* In ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', the Operative references ''{{seppuku}}'' when talking with a [[YouHaveFailedMe scientist who has screwed up hardcore.]] When said scientist doesn't take the hint, the Operative forcefully helps him out with regaining his lost honor.
** Or he could be referring to what disgraced roman generals did; they literally threw themselves on their own swords, often in a far more impromptu manner reminiscent of the scientist's killing.

* Invoked by The Operative in {{Serenity}} because Dr Matthias [[YouHaveFailedMe had failed him]].
** Maybe it was because of The Operative's strange residual sense of morality. Possibly he thought that anyone who was willing to go as far beyond the MoralEventHorizon for [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans utopia]] as the doctor was, had better be willing to kill himself if he failed. And if he wasn't, The Operative could fix that...