History Main / SurprisinglyEliteCannonFodder

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* The Organization in ''{{Claymore}}'' has a standard practice of sending the warriors they deem unreliable ([[spoiler:actually, all who come close to Awakening]]) on {{Suicide Mission}}s, yet some like Miria and Clare manage to survive against all odds, resulting in a win-win for the Organization. This did eventually end i the Battle of Pieta, where all current undesirables are rounded up in one place and massacred to hold off an army of Awakened Beings until they could scramble to deploy their real weapon, which they did. Pieta, however, backfired again: seven Claymores survived and deserted, but until that point it had been quite nice for them.

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** If you like to know he only takes about 11 of them on each mission all but one (minus Himself) ever live past their first mission (if you do he will give you a full pardon)

A close relative of ReassignmentBackfire, except this turns out rather well for the superiors. Frequently a comedy trope, this is when your RagtagBunchOfMisfits are a bunch of assholes or at least out of favour with high command, and their superiors are clearly deliberate in sending them off to their certain demises. The problem is that, through sheer luck, ruthlessness or [[LetsGetDangerous actual competence and skill,]] they keep returning, sometimes even accomplishing the [[ImpossibleTask impossible missions.]]

* The Organization in ''{{Claymore}}'' has a standard practice of sending the warriors they deem unreliable ([[spoiler:actually, all who come close to Awakening]]) on suicide missions, yet some like Miria and Clare manage to survive against all odds, resulting in a win-win for the Organization. This did eventually end i the Battle of Pieta, where all current undesirables are rounded up in one place and massacred to hold off an army of Awakened Beings until they could scramble to deploy their real weapon, which they did. Pieta, however, backfired again: seven Claymores survived and deserted, but until that point it had been quite nice for them.

* {{Xenosaga}} plays with this, with Ziggurat-8. Rather than someone else sending him on suicide missions, he sends ''himself'' on suicide missions, because he ''wants'' to die fully (but can't kill himself outright due to programming). The problem (for him), is that he's just too good to die, and ends up being recruited for a very important mission due to his skill.
* B Company from ''[[BattlefieldSeries Battlefield: Bad Company]]''. Command keeps sending them on suicide missions, they keep succeeding and surviving.

->'''Shepard:''' "And how many suicide missions have I been on?"

* ''ExterminatusNow'' usually has the gang sent off to do some incredibly dangerous mission specifically because they're a bunch of frakkers whose backs no one would care to see. As a result, they frequently don't get the job done too well. However, their tenacity at surviving numerous operations where their command staff are explicitly ''trying'' to get them killed off means that Schaefer tends to go to them first if there is a genuine need for a group of inquisitors with a record for pulling off suicide missions.

* Klaus Hauptman knowingly invoked this trope in ''[[HonorHarrington Honor Among Enemies]]''. He convinced the Royal Manticoran Navy to offer Honor Harrington, a major thorn in his side, a flag command as a Rear Admiral in Silesia fighting pirates (who happened to be threatening his shipping). He figured either she'd succeed and protect his interests, or she'd fail and likely be ruined for it.

* The Organization in ''{{Claymore}}'' has a standard practice of sending the warriors they deem unreliable ([[spoiler:actually, all who come close to Awakening]]) on suicide missions, yet some like Miria and Clare manage to survive against all odds. For them, the Organization stages big events like the Battle of Pieta, where all current undesirables are rounded up in one place and massacred by the Awakened Beings. Pieta, however, backfired again: seven Claymores survived and deserted.

->'''Dr. McKay:''' "I don't know, I lost count."

* Klaus Hauptman knowingly invoked this trope in ''Honor Among Enemies''. He convinced the Royal Manticoran Navy to offer Honor Harrington, a major thorn in his side, a flag command as a Rear Admiral in Silesia fighting pirates (who happened to be threatening his shipping). He figured either she'd succeed and protect his interests, or she'd fail and likely be ruined for it.

* ''MassEffect 2'' can be interpreted as a rare serious example of this: a RagtagBunchOfMisfits sent away on an admitted suicide mission, whose [[PlayerCharacter leader]] [[spoiler:[[HeroWithBadPublicity the council has tried to disavow]]]].
** Inverted with [[spoiler: the Collectors]] who, in spite of their supposed power, tend to die even faster than the Geth.

* For a bunch of pissed-off civilians with guns led by a former security guard, along with some pretty stupid AI coding, the Rebels in {{Half-Life 2}} can kick some serious ass!

->'''McKay:''' "I don't know, I lost count."

* B Company from ''[[BattlefieldSeries Battlefield: Bad Company]]''.

*''MassEffect 2'' can be interpreted as this: a RagtagBunchOfMisfits sent away on an admitted suicide mission, whose [[PlayerCharacter leader]] [[spoiler:[[HeroWithBadPublicity the council has tried to disavow]]]].

*''MassEffect 2'' can be interpreted as this: a RagtagBunchOfMisfits sent away on an admitted suicide mission, whose leader [[spoiler:the council has tried to disavow]].

-->'''Virus:''' "Why did you choose '''[[RagtagBunchOfMisfits us]]''' to do this, sir?"
-->'''Schaefer:''' "Several reasons. You have a history of making it out of impossible situations, no matter how often we try to ki- no matter what assignment we deploy you on."
--> ''ExterminatusNow.''

However, rather than get worried for their jobs, the superiors are actually quite pleased. Now they've got CannonFodder who are actually likely to get the job done, but [[UriahGambit whom no one is going to miss if they don't come back!]] Often the mark of DangerouslyGenreSavvy superiors.

However, rather than get worried for their jobs, the superiors are actually quite pleased. Now they've got CannonFodder who are actually likely to get the job done, but [[UriahGambit whom no one is going to miss if they don't come back!]]