History Main / TargetedHumanSacrifice

* ''TabletopGame/ChroniclesOfDarkness'': Per the EquivalentExchange rules of BloodMagic, {{Blood Bath}}ers get greater benefits from their ritual if it requires a more restrictive source of blood. One such ritual demands a pair of lovers; another needs the blood of witches.

* ''Franchise/{{Mistborn}}'': Hemalurgy works by killing a target with a special metal spike through the heart, capturing [[AnatomyOfTheirSoul part of their soul]], and implanting the spike in a recipient. Magical abilities are among the traits that can be transferred in this way, so in [[Literature/MistbornTheOriginalTrilogy the original trilogy]], the Empire's {{Mage Killer}}s are on the lookout for people they can murder for their powers.

* In ''Fanfic/BlueSkiesAndPureGold'', Winry [[ForWantOfANail assisted the Elric brothers]] when they tried reviving their mother. As a result, Father and the homunculi are targeting her alongside the Elrics for this very purpose.

** The state PhysicalReligion of Iraden promises a suite of ongoing divine blessings in exchange for the rulers sacrificing themselves to their PatronGod on demand. The book's plot begins when the sitting ruler vanishes right before he's due to die.

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'', to reverse a curse, the blood of a specific pirate is required — or that of his descendant Will Turner. They only need a small amount, as we learn when they attempt to use Elizabeth [[spoiler:and later when Will cuts his own hand to provide the needed blood himself]]. But by the time they got Will, they were angry enough at him that they decided to slit his throat instead.

LoveSacrificedForPower is a subtrope where the killer must love the victim or vice versa.

{{Barrier Maiden}}s tend to be prime targets for this, for obvious reasons. If the criteria for making a proper sacrifice include being a virgin, see VirginSacrifice.

* In ''Series/OnceUponATime'', casting a Dark Curse requires you to sacrifice the person you most love. The implications and loopholes of this are explored repeatedly through the show.

* ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'': A [[DealWithTheDevil pact]] with an [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Abyssal spirit]] always demands a payment themed to the spirit's area of influence. The Prince in Tatters, a spirit of betrayal, requires the summoner to offer up a person who genuinely loves and trusts them.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': SummonMagic like ''planar ally'' and ''gate'' requires the summoner to negotiate payment for the Outsider's services, usually themed to its interests. Powerful [[OurDemonsAreDifferent fiends]] demand sacrifices like a high-level [[ThePaladin Paladin]], a captive [[OurAngelsAreDifferent celestial]], a cleric of a Good-aligned god, an innocent young child, or a person the summoner loves.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': SummonMagic like ''planar ally'' and ''gate'' requires the summoner to negotiate payment for services rendered, usually themed to the Outsider's interests. Powerful [[OurDemonsAreDifferent fiends]] often demand sacrifices like a high-level [[ThePaladin Paladin]], a captive [[OurAngelsAreDifferent celestial]], a cleric of a Good-aligned god, an innocent young child, or a person the summoner loves.

* ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods'' focuses on a group of college students who were all set up to be killed in the cabin [[spoiler:for a ritual to appease Dark Gods who will destroy the world otherwise. The people chosen need to fit horror movies archetypes--sometimes poorly.]]

* ''Film/TheCabinInTheWoods''. To say any more would be to spoil the whole film.

%%
%%
%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
%%
%%
%%
%%
%%

* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', [[BigBad Father]] needs people who not only can open the Gate, but have done it once before and survived: this ends up being [[spoiler:the Elric brothers, Hohenheim, Izumi Curtis, and Roy Mustang]]. Without them, he can't perform his ritual and capture the power of God. They are targeted more because of their skills and experiences than some particular power or bloodline, but finding replacements would be extremely difficult, so it counts. Particularly, Mustang ''didn't'' qualify, so Pride and Wrath sacrificed the Gold-Toothed Doctor to force him to perform human transmutation against his will, fulfilling the requirement.

* ''[[ComicBook/DCPride2022 DC Pride: Tim Drake Special]]'': The Children of Dionysus are kidnapping teenagers who are at odds with or distant from their parents and who are questioning themselves and their place in the world with the intent to sacrifice them on an altar. Not only does this mean that there is a push to label their victims runaways the "chaos" of their minds as they are not settled in what they are and want to be is attractive to the cult which worships chaos.

* In ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire'', Voldemort casts a ritual requiring the blood of an enemy. As Wormtail points out, nearly the entire wizarding world qualifies, but of course he wanted Harry Potter's, [[spoiler:to circumvent his [[ThePowerOfLove protective ward]]]].

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* A group from ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' called Akatsuki tries to do this not once, but nine times! They search for the nine Jinchuriki, including protagonists Naruto and Gaara, to extract their inner demons.
* ''Manga/{{Boruto}}'' takes this to extremes. In Chapter 13, we learn that [[spoiler:Tento has been kidnapped]], and to make things worse, the BigBad doesn't plan to just kill him or collect a ransom; he wants to perform a Kinjutsu that gives him the victim's memories and appearance. How is this jutsu accomplished? '''[[ImAHumanitarian Biting off the top of the person's head while they're still alive and eating their brain tissue.]]'''

* ''Anime/BleachMemoriesOfNobody''. A Shinigami girl named Senna (who is also [[spoiler:the Memory Rosary]]) is captured and tortured by the Dark Ones (exiled Soul Reapers). They try to sacrifice her in order to collapse the Valley of Screams and destroy both the World of the Living and the Soul Society. [[spoiler: They fail, but Senna still dies.]]

* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheCurseOfTheBlackPearl'', to reverse a curse, the blood of a specific pirate is required — or that of his descendant Will Turner. They only need a small amount, as we learn when they attempt to use Elizabeth [[spoiler:and later when Will cuts his own hand to provide the needed blood himself]]. But by the time they got Will, they were angry enough at him that they decided to slit his throat instead.
* The villain from the first ''Film/ScoobyDoo'' movie needs a pure soul for his ritual. The only soul meeting the requirements on the whole island is [[spoiler:Scooby's]].
* In ''Film/TheWickerMan1973'', [[spoiler:Sgt. Howie is slated to be the sacrifice because he's still a virgin, because he's acting as a representative of the Crown, and because he has been tricked into coming to the appointed place, making him the perfect combination of Virgin, King, and Fool]].
* In ''Film/LesbianVampireKillers'', the blood of the last of the [=McLarens=] is required in the ritual to resurrect Carmilla the Vampire Queen.

* ''Film/JugFace'': Whenever a sculptor has a trance and makes a jug depicting someone's face, the redneck community sacrifices that person to a mud pit to replenish the pit's healing powers and to contain a SealedEvilInACan.
* In ''Film/BigTroubleInLittleChina'', the BigBad is an EvilSorcerer who is cursed to remain either as a feeble old man who needs a wheelchair to move or a powerful non-corporeal magician. In order to break the curse and make himself a powerful ''corporeal'' magician, he needs a girl with green eyes for a special ritual. When he tells that to the heroes, Creator/KurtRussell's character wonders how likely is it that, in all those centuries, he has never found a "broad to fit the bill" (granted, green eyes are rare in China, but it's made pretty clear that the woman doesn't need to be Chinese herself). The sorcerer admits that there have been others, but they weren't quite right, and the ritual failed to work. However, this time, he manages to find ''two'' green-eyed girls (who happen to be the two heroes' {{Love Interest}}s) and tries to perform the ritual with both of them.

* In ''Film/TheCurseOfSleepingBeauty'', [[spoiler:Rose awakens then kisses and attacks Thomas. Rose kills the Veiled Demon, but before doing so, it tells them that Thomas' bloodline 'stores' many demons, which Rose will summon to unleash upon the world. Rose states she will not kill them so they can see the darkness to come and begins to awaken the demons in Thomas' bloodline. Meanwhile, after the full text from the book is deciphered Daniel reads the curse that awakening the demons in Thomas' bloodline will trigger the Apocalypse.]]

%%(ZCE) * Almost happens to the Avatar in the beginning of ''VideoGame/UltimaVI''.

* In ''VideoGame/TheKingOfFighters'', [[spoiler:the original ritual to awaken {{Orochi}} 1800 years ago included plans for the sacrifice of eight {{Barrier Maiden}}s, known as the Kushinadas. Seven of these girls were sacrificed [[note]](and in the ''manhua'' they [[ApocalypseMaiden willingly offered themselves as this]], [[IJustWantToBeBeautiful having being told that they'd gain eternal youth and beauty in exchange]])[[/note]], but the last one was rescued by the Kusanagi, Yasakani, and Yata leaders, who then went on fighting and sealing Orochi away]]. In the present, [[spoiler:the New Face Team (Yashiro, Shermie, and Chris) kidnap the currently last descendant of this surviving Kushinada, a GirlNextDoor from Osaka named Yuki, for the same thing... and [[VillainBall commit the HUGE mistake]] of gloating about their evil plans to Kyo Kusanagi, Chizuru Kagura, and Iori Yagami, the descendants of those who fought and sealed Orochi: since Yuki just ''happens'' to be Kyo's girlfriend, [[BerserkButton they piss him off BADLY]]. Obviously, Yuki is saved from them and Orochi is re-sealed]].
* In the ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' FanGame ''VideoGame/TheJediMasters'', a DarkSide PlayerCharacter has the [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential opportunity to perform one]] in order to [[spoiler:[[BackFromTheDead resurrect]] and enslave [[HumanoidAbomination Darth Nihilus]] using the body of [[PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo the Jedi Exile]] as a vessel at the behest of their master, [[SpiritAdvisor Freedon Nadd]]]].
* It's revealed partway through ''VideoGame/RadiantHistoria'' that [[spoiler:the ritual to hold off the end of the world requires someone who's died and been brought back to [[HeroicSacrifice willingly give up their soul]] to power it. There are two potential candidates. Too bad one of them is more inclined to [[PutThemAllOutOfMyMisery let the world end]]]]. In the True Ending, [[spoiler:he accepts his role as the Sacrifice. Not to save the world, which he would still gladly see burn, but to save the other potential sacrifice, whom he had truly grown to love]].

* In ''VideoGame/KultHereticKingdoms'', the sword Godslayer can be empowered by the blood of people descended from Arkor, its original wielder. Taryn Arkor, who was using the sword to keep himself alive, recharged it via his fellow descendants, splitting them into sacrifice victims and breeders of future sacrifice victims. The protagonist, Alita, grew up in a dungeon as one of the planned sacrifices, but Taryn Arkor was overthrown in a rebellion ''just'' before she was old enough.
* In ''VideoGame/SonicAndTheSecretRings'', [[BigBad Erazor Djinn]] reveals that once the seven World Rings have been gathered together, the only way for someone else to gain control of their full power is to sacrifice the collector. [[spoiler:Having forced Sonic to gather them together via [[LivingOnBorrowedTime shooting him in the chest with a cursed flame arrow]], Erazor prepares to do just that to him, but Sharha throws herself in front of the strike and dies instead. The ImperfectRitual results in Erazor turning into a deformed EldritchAbomination and Sonic stealing three of the Rings to unleash his newest SuperMode and [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown crush him into paste]].]]
* ''VideoGame/FableI'': The power of the [[ArtifactOfDoom Sword of Aeons]] can only be fully unlocked by the blood of the Archon's HeroicLineage. The BigBad kills the Hero's mother when he claims the sword for the FinalBoss fight, and the Hero gets the LastSecondEndingChoice to destroy the sword or sacrifice his own sister to master it himself.

-->--'''Lord Summerisle''', ''Film/TheWickerMan1973''

->Animals are fine, but their acceptability is limited. A little child is even better, but not nearly as effective as the ''right kind of adult''.

* ''Manga/{{Boruto}}'' takes this [[UpToEleven to extremes.]] In Chapter 13, we learn that [[spoiler:Tento has been kidnapped]], and to make things worse, the BigBad doesn't plan to just kill him or collect a ransom; he wants to perform a Kinjutsu that gives him the victim's memories and appearance. How is this jutsu accomplished? '''[[ImAHumanitarian Biting off the top of the person's head while they're still alive and eating their brain tissue.]]'''

The actual sacrifice factor can range anywhere from just needing Alice's fresh [[BloodMagic blood]] to needing her [[HumanSacrifice full life force.]] Not that it changes much, since whoever is in lead of the ritual is not going to leave her alive.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': In [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E4TheGirlInTheFireplace "The Girl in the Fireplace"]], the clockwork androids pursue Reinette because [[spoiler:they are using human body parts to repair their ship, and they think hers will be the best for the job because the ship is named after her. They also need her to be the same age as the ship, as they believe that her brain will then be "complete".]]

* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', [[BigBad Father]] needs people who not only can open the Gate, but have done it once before and survived: this ends up being [[spoiler:the Elric brothers, Hohenheim, Izumi Curtis, and Roy Mustang]]. Without them, he can't perform his ritual and capture the power of God. They are targeted more because of their skills and experiences than some particular power or bloodline, but finding replacements would be extremely difficult, so it counts. Particularly, Mustang ''didn't'' qualify, so Pride and Wrath sacrificed the Gold-Toothed Doctor to force him to perform human transmutation, fulfilling the requirement.

* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', [[BigBad Father]] needs people who not only can open the Gate, but have done it once before and survived: this ends up being [[spoiler:the Elric brothers, Hohenheim, Izumi Curtis, and Roy Mustang]]. Without them, he can't perform his ritual and capture the power of God. They are targeted more because of their skills and experiences than some particular power or bloodline, but finding replacements would be extremely difficult, so it counts.