History Main / ShootEverythingThatMoves

MoreDakka might come in handy now, but it's not necessary -- sometimes it's knives or clubs. Usually this isn't GottaKillThemAll or LeaveNoSurvivors, because you've got some objective other than killing people -- say, [[RoaringRampageOfRescue you're rescuing someone]], or [[TheGreatEscape getting out of the prison camp]], or making the Nazis surrender. But for whatever reason, if you see anything alive, you need to make it less alive. (If you want to put a positive spin on things, just call it a "target-rich environment.")

->'''Zoe:''' Okay, people. If it moves, shoot it.
->'''Kaylee:''' Unless it's the captain!
->'''Zoe:''' Unless it's the captain.
-->-- The ''{{Series/Firefly}}'' crew plans a rescue mission

-->[[ColonelBadass Peter]] [[CoolUncle Dresari]]:"Move in fast, and vaporize anything that isn't a rock."
-->[[DeadpanSnarker Casey]] [[PluckyComicRelief Nolan]]: "Except each other, that is."
-->Peter: "Yes, except each other."

* In ''Videogame/{{Metro Last Light}}'', The Rangers of the Order's Codex explicitly states "if it's hostile, you kill it". It harkens back to ''VideoGame/{{Metro 2033}}'', when it was Hunter's motto (he was a Ranger).

* In ''[[VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine Spec Ops: The Line]]'', this is used to ilustrate how [[the originally proper and professional Cpt. Walker [[SanitySlippage has gone off the deep end]], becoming a [[AxCrazy murder happy]] BloodKnight]].

* In ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' ''Rising Sun'', Gunnery Sergeant Jack Lauton tells Corporal Joseph Griffin to get the back of the truck full of explosives "And shoot anything that moves. It's gonna be a bumpy ride."

* By some accounts, the U.S. designated [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-fire_zone "free-fire zones"]] in Vietnam, in which servicemembers were to consider all unidentified people as hostile, and shoot on sight. (If so, this would be a violation of TheLawsAndCustomsOfWar.) Depicted in several Vietnam war movies.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Counter-Strike}}: Global Offensive'', one of the round-starting lines for the S.A.S. is "Remember, this is bandit country--shoot everything that moves." Inevitably some players [[ExactWords take this]] [[TeamKiller as a challenge.]]

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Freedom_Deal Operation Freedom Deal]]: "A massive bombing campaign in Cambodia. Anything that flies on anything that moves." [[spoiler:It didn't work.]]

* In ''Film/X2XMenUnited'', Col. Stryker tells his mooks that after he leaves, they are to shoot ''anyone'' who comes down the corridor, [[VoluntaryShapeshifting even if it was him]]. [[GenreSavvy He knew that Mystique was on-site.]]

* There's a piece of conventional wisdom that goes, "If it moves, shoot it. If it doesn't, [[GenreSavvy shoot it just in case.]]"

MoreDakka might come in handy now, but it's not necessary--sometimes it's knives or clubs. Usually this isn't GottaKillThemAll, because you've got some objective other than killing people--say, you're rescuing someone, or getting out of the prison camp, or making the Nazis surrender. But for whatever reason, if you see anything alive, you need to make it less alive. (If you want to put a positive spin on things, just call it a "target-rich environment.")

Similar to LeaveNoSurvivors. But in that case, the emphasis is on making sure everyone is dead--if someone hides and you miss him, you've failed. Shoot Everything That Moves is more about the situation where everything you see is a threat and a target--if something runs or hides and doesn't come out until you're gone, that's just fine. See also LeaveNoWitnesses, for the situation where the people around you aren't imminent threats, but they know too much for you to leave them alive.

Too many video games to count are played this way, from SpaceInvaders on up. So only list video games that ''aren't'' just EverythingIsTryingToKillYou (and you're returning the favor).

* This is what the basic plan for the final battle of ''ShadowhunterPeril'' turned out to be. Yes there were battle strategies, yes their primary goal was to get the kids out of the city, but once that was ensured and a few of the multiple Big Bads were occupied, it turned into shoot-or-stab-anything-that-isn't-remotely-human-until-it-is-unrecognizable-chunks. [[CurbStompBattle and it worked quite well.]]

* Applies to T-800s in the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' film franchise. An Infiltrator spy in the first film going on a rampage killing off human Resistance even kills off ''German shepherds''.

* In ''Film/{{Grimsby}}'', Nobby gets addicted to shooting everything he sees when he first discovers how to use a gun. Once he shoots a bird, Sebastian draws the line there.
-->'''Sebastian:''' (angrily annoyed) Will you '''stop''' shooting everything?

Sometimes the good guys have to go into heavily-defended territory. There aren't any neutrals there, and it's too dangerous to leave any of the opponents alive. Maybe they're the defenders and the only things coming towards their position [[EverythingTryingToKillYou are trying to kill them]].

* In ''Literature/BattleRoyale'' a good number of students try this. To be specific, [[EmptyShell Kazuo Kiriyama]] is the most merciless student that guns down any and everyone in his way.

* In ''Videogame/{{Metro Last Light}}'', The Rangers of the Order's Codex explicitly states "If It's hostile, You kill it!"

* In ''[[VideoGame/SpecOpsTheLine Spec Ops: The Line]]''...
--> '''Adams:''' "So, how we gonna do this?"
--> '''Walker:''' "Kill everything that fuckin' moves."
--> '''Adams:''' "Sounds like a plan."
** Interestingly, this is used to ilustrate how the originally proper and professional Cpt. Walker has gone off the deep end, becoming a trigger happy, {{Blood Knight}}.

* In ''Literature/MailedFist'', tank commander John Foley describes an engagement in Holland where he had to lead his three tanks down a forest road by night, knowing the woods to either side were full of Germans with panzerfausts. He detailed his machine-gunners to continually fire into the forest to either side and his drivers to go flat out. None of his tanks were hit, and in the morning there were quite a lot of dead Germans with anti-tank rockets they had not had a chance to fire.

->'''Kaylee:''' [[LiteralMinded Unless it's the captain!]]