History Main / ThouShaltNotKill

* Aang from ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' certainly follows this. However, it appears that his friends are fine with killing people in self-defense, or at least Sokka and [[spoiler:Zuko]], which he doesn't seem to have a problem with. Sokka killed a company of Fire Nation soldiers in "The Northern Air Temple"!

** Meanwhile, Sokka and Toph kill a large number of Fire Nation mooks by massive aerial explosion and don't worry about it much.
** Aang does admit that he's killed a lot of fire nation mooks before in self-defense. He just doesn't want to purposely kill anyone. This is implied by Yangchen to be less of an objection to killing in itself, but more of Aang's subconscious understanding of what killing might do to his own spirituality.
** Subtly averted in the SequelSeries ''TheLegendOfKorra''. At one point, Korra attempts to attack an apparently defenseless waterbender with two powerful fireblasts. The dialogue and circumstances surrounding the fight imply very heavily that she really meant to kill her opponent; he had spent the better part of the episode hitting her {{Berserk Button}}s, and picking a fight really seemed to be the last straw with her.

** "Killed while resisting arrest..."

* In the ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' series, [[TheMessiah John Connor]] orders the T-800 to not kill anybody. This carries over to ''Series/TheSarahConnorChronicles''... where both John and Sarah try to live by this, but over the course of the series are forced into taking a life each (see below).

* In ''TheChroniclesOfThomasCovenant'', the Oath of the Land plays with the ideal of Thou Shalt Not Kill, and takes it further:

* The SeekersOfTruth use this, as they work with the law enforcement and justice system. A couple of them violate this rule once, which as it turns out is one time too many.

* Pulp hero DocSavage started out killing bad guys left and right, but evolved a pragmatic "don't kill unless there's no other way" policy after the first few stories. Many a villain ended up fatally HoistByHisOwnPetard. More often than not, Doc knows this is going to happen (since he's sabotaged the weapon) and tries to warn the BigBad, who just laughs and pushes what has now become the BigRedButton.

* BrandonSanderson's ''{{Mistborn}}''-trilogy features the Kandra. A race of [[VoluntaryShapeshifting shape-shifters]] whose own laws forbid them from killing humans. Kandra who break this law are punished by death.
* In ''TheDresdenFiles'', the First law of Magic specifies that Thou Shalt Not Kill ''With Magic''. Violating this law generally leads to execution by the White Council, except in rare cases where the wizard responsible was judged to be acting in self-defense ''and'' another wizard is willing to mentor the killer. Killing people without magic is allowed if circumstances dictate though. The sole exception to this is [[spoiler: the Blackstaff, who is allowed to kill if it is deemed absolutely necessary]]. Also, the Law specifically states that it is illegal to kill ''humans''. Killing supernatural creatures such as faeries and vampires with magic is allowed, as the Laws only exist to protect humans.

* In the ''IronDruidChronicles'' Druid magic cannot be used to harm a living being in any way. If you do, the magic will kill you on the spot. However, Druids can kill people in any number of mundane ways like cutting their heads off. The prohibition also only applies to ''direct'' magic use. Druid magic can be used to indirectly hurt someone (eg summoning elementals to do the fighting or simply having a hole appear in the earth so the opponent breaks a leg). It also does not apply to supernatural beings with no connection to the earth (eg demons).
* In ''WearingTheCape'' Hope's expectation is that superheroes follow the Golden Age superhero code, and this is strengthened by Ajax' statement that "heroes don't use guns." But in her first fight she discovers that Atlas is perfectly willing to [[spoiler: let the bad guys kill each other]], and in the surprise-attack on Whittier Base [[spoiler: half the team breaks out automatic pistols, the better to cap their attackers]]. Hope herself [[spoiler: kills an unspecified number of terrorists in the heat of combat, then kills two ''heroes'' in the Dark Anarchist's secret base]].
* In the ''PrydainChronicles'', Lord Pryderi taunts the enchanter Dallben, believing that he "secret to his power" is that Dallben cannot kill. Dallben says he has never killed anyone, but that doesn't mean he ''can't.'' [[spoiler:The issue is never settled, since Pryderi [[KarmicDeath dies shortly thereafter]] without Dallben's intervention.]]

* In ''TheQuantumThief'', the Sobornost collective hold a rare, villainous principle in this matter. They could wipe out all their enemies from the Solar System with Strangelet bombs in a matter of hours, but in their ideology, every mind has its place and every memory is worth preserving. It's just happens to be that ''they'' decide what place each mind should have, and they'll cheerfully MindRape the uploaded personalities into any function they find the most suitable, be it an infiltrator or a missile guidance system, and then copy them as needed. In their minds it's only a murder if ''all'' the copies of an uploaded individual are destroyed.
* Literature/TrappedOnDraconica: No matter who it is Daniar will not kill them, though some people really ask for it. [[spoiler: She just about killed Zarracka after the third time she was spared.]] Interestingly, Rana doesn't persuade Daniar out of killing [[spoiler: Zarracka]] out of concern for the villain's well being but to prevent Daniar from breaking her code.

* ''Literature/ExilesViolin'': Jacquie is a downplayed example; after killing her father's murderer she swore to herself that she would never kill again but kills {{mook}}s when there is no other option. [[spoiler: At the climax she kills Gunslinger because her rule is not a unbreakable rule.]]

* In ''Comicbook/{{Empowered}}'', this is played utterly straight with the title character; even her most powerful energy blasts have never been seen to do worse than leave someone out cold. The rest of the cast ([[spoiler:including, from the look of things, her costume]]) averts it, especially Thugboy. [[spoiler:In volume 6, she does leave Deathmonger to be disintegrated by a nuclear blast... but he's not only an enslaver of the walking dead, but a walking dead man himself.]]

* In ''Comicbook/{{Empowered}}'', this is played utterly straight with the title character; even her most powerful energy blasts have never been seen to do worse than leave someone out cold. The rest of the cast ([[spoiler:including, from the look of things, her costume]]) averts it ''hard'', especially Thugboy. [[spoiler:In volume 6, she does leave Deathmonger to be disintegrated by a nuclear blast... but he's not only an enslaver of the walking dead, but a walking dead man himself.]]

* Averted hard in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. [[Film/TheAvengers The Avengers]] have no qualms with killing their enemies, and neither does [[Series/AgentsOfSHIELD S.H.I.E.L.D.]]

* BlackPanther is not adverse to killing, though he usually tries to use non-lethal means if at all possible. During his run as the protector of Hell's Kitchen, he notably told a thug that as a warrior first and foremost, he did not share Daredevil's no-kill rule.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{He-Man|and theMastersOfTheUniverse}}'', in the 80's, seemed to live and die by a code of not killing anyone (which explains why the same villains keep coming back again and again). This causes a crisis of conscience in one episode where he believes he has allowed someone to be killed [[spoiler: but it was actually [[ThePlan a trick by Skeletor]] to make him give up his powers]].

* In ''IkkiTousen'', Sonsaku Hakufu refuses to kill her rivals, saying that [[BloodKnight she only wants]] [[BoisterousBruiser to fight them]] but not take their lives.

* ''MahouSenseiNegima'', bizarrely enough, has a ''villain'' (well, AntiVillain) with a Thou Shalt Not Kill code, though he was willing to break it if his opponent was dangerous enough.
* Nanoha Takamachi of ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha''. Very skilled at using [[StunGuns Magical Damage]], which lets her create a lot of flashy explosions without ever killing anyone, even sentient non-humans. By contrast, the Wolkenritter have no personal qualms about using lethal force when needed, but they also followed this code when they were [[HeroAntagonist antagonists]] in the second season since they didn't want Hayate's name to be defiled with blood.

* ''MahouSenseiNegima'', bizarrely enough, has a ''villain'' (well, AntiVillain) with a ThouShaltNotKill code, though he was willing to break it if his opponent was dangerous enough.

* Interesting subversion in ''Literature/WarriorCats'', where the warrior code says: "An honorable warrior does not need to kill other cats to win his battles, unless they are outside the warrior code or it is necessary for self-defense.", so ThouShaltNotKill... unless it's in self-defense... or the person you're killing ''really'' deserves it. But you are still just considered "dishonorable" (although, being {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s, this is AFateWorseThanDeath for some). The rule is still important, though, and main characters have so far only killed {{Big Bad}}s, and at times have had to be restrained from killing others.

* An alien race in Creator/TomHolt's ''Literature/FallingSideways'' had this as a rule. They also had a very high level of technology and the collective mindset of a RulesLawyer. As in, it's OK to make people believe themselves to be frogs and eat nothing but flies, because they have a rule saying "ThouShaltNotKill" but not "Thou Shalt Not Make People Feed Themselves Horribly Inadequate Diets".

* Shortly after 9/11, TheOnion reported that {{God}} [[http://www.theonion.com/articles/god-angrily-clarifies-dont-kill-rule,222/ held a press conference]] to remind everyone exactly what He meant by "ThouShaltNotKill."

** Makes up a big part of the GrandFinale, where he can't bring himself to kill the BigBad but realizes that leaving him to wage war on the world is just as immoral. Even one of his past lives, with the same ThouShaltNotKill philosophy, points out that he has a responsibility to the world and may have to sacrifice his own spiritual needs to save it. [[spoiler:[[ContrivedCoincidence Good thing he just happens to come across someone who has the perfect solution to his problem, eh?]]]]

*** The sequel ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamCity'' extends this selective invisible wall to all of the many rooftops Batman fights on. Pay no attention to the fact that he's beating people into immobility, and leaving them lying around unable to defend themselves in a city filled with psychopaths, while they're wearing light clothing in the middle of winter.

* Averted hard in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. [[Film/TheAvengers The Avengers]] have no qualms with killing their enemies, and neither does [[Series/AgentsOfSHIELD S.H.I.E.L.D.]] However, [[Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger Captain America]] avoids killing more than the other heroes, only taking a life when [[IDidWhatIHadToDo it's absolutely necessary.]]

* Averted in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. So far the only heroes who even possibly holds to this belief is [[Film/TheIncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]], and maybe Film/{{Thor}} by the end of his movie. [[IDidWhatIHadToDo Though understandable]] when you remember that [[CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger Cap]] and Film/IronMan were essentially protecting the world from [[ANaziByAnyOtherName HYDRA]] and terrorists respectively.

* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': Main character Edward Elric refuses to kill to achieve his goals, even Homunculi. Still doesn't make him any less {{Badass}} by any stretch of the imagination. [[spoiler:Just look what he did to Pride]]. [[spoiler:He does ultimately end up (technically) killing the BigBad, Father]] and accidentally kills one of his early opponents and later kills two homunculi.

This is TruthInTelevision. In general, as an evolutionary-based concept, there are very few humans who can STAND the thought of TRULY ending the life of another human without military training. The military has developed many studies over the years to evolve the best training curriculum to dehumanize the "enemy" and enable their soldiers to kill enemy soldiers. Even then, when a soldier is tasked with actually shooting a bullet that would end the life of another human being...many would rather intentionally miss. It is this (strength, in the case of all human life, but weakness in the case of human life with an opposing ideology) that makes modern militaries attempt to make the enemy soldiers appear as "unhuman" as possible.

** The very same book that contains the Commandments also contains [[BurnTheWitch "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live"]] in the King James Version.

* This is [[Series/DoctorWho the Doctor's]] [[TechnicalPacifist apparent]] modus operandi. Give him points for effort, but it doesn't usually work.

* Averted in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse. So far the only heroes who even possibly holds to this belief is [[Film/TheIncredibleHulk Bruce Banner]], and maybe Film/{{Thor}} by the end of his movie. [[IDidWhatIHadToDo Though understandable]] when you remember that [[CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger Cap]] and Film/IronMan were essentially soldiers protecting their country from [[ANaziByAnyOtherName HYDRA]] and terrorists respectively.

* Discussed by Tattletale in ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' as one of the lines supervillains and heroes avoid crossing because it makes someone too much of a threat and messes with the [[StatusQuoIsGod status quo]].

** In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' Batman explicitly tells [[Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} Selina Kyle]] "No guns, no killing.". She is less than enamored with the idea, responding, "Where's the fun in that?!" [[spoiler:Selina later saves Bruce's life by shooting Bane right as he is about to kill the hero, and jokingly states that she doesn't feel too strongly about the whole no-kill thing.]]

** Makes up a big part of the GrandFinale, where he can't bring himself to kill the BigBad but realizes that leaving him to wage war on the world is just as immoral. Even one of his past lives, with the same ThouShaltNotKill philosophy, points out that he has a responsibility to the world and may have to sacrifice his spirit to save it. [[spoiler:[[ContrivedCoincidence Good thing he just happens to come across someone who has the perfect solution to his problem, eh?]]]]

** Meanwhile, Sokka and Toph kill like 500 guys with a massive aerial explosion.
** Aang is RecklessPacifist. The rest of the Gaang seems to advert this trope. It's not shown on srceen, but it would be hard for some of their actions to end without deaths of Mooks. They are ChildSoldiers [[OneManArmy skilled in combat]] fighting in a war after all.
** Aang does admit that he's killed a lot of fire nation mooks before in self-defense. He just doesn't want to purposely kill anyone.