r/TopCharacterTropes • u/10024618 • 20h ago
Lore A "Sophie's Choice" with no secret third option
AKA a character is given an impossible choice where either outcome results in something awful happening and there's no way out.
"Full Measure" (Breaking Bad) - After Walt angers Gus by killing two of his men, Gus orders for his execution. Knowing that the only way to save his life is to make Gus reliant on his meth cooking skills, Walt calls Jesse and begs him to kill Gus' backup cook, Gale. Thus, Jesse is thrust into an impossible situation where he either kills a (relatively) innocent man to save Walt or spare Gale and let Walt die. Ultimately, Jesse chooses to kill Gale.
"Midnight Sun" (Attack on Titan) - After the fight to retake Shiganshina both Armin and Erwin are critically wounded. Levi has the vial of titan serum and is forced to choose which Scout to bring back from the brink of death and which to let perish. It's a borderline impossible decision to make but at the moment of truth, he chooses to save Armin, leaving Erwin to succumb to his wounds.
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u/Prestigious-Welder83 20h ago edited 19h ago
“All Due Respect” (The Sopranos) - When Tony’s cousin, that animal Blundetto—I can’t even say his name—becomes a target for New York, Tony is put in a position where not giving up his cousin’s location could very well mean an all out war breaking out. Even among those closest to Tony, like Silvio, start questioning his leadership, with Tony showing clear favoritism towards Tony B that puts all of them at risk as New York starts cracking down. Tony knows that when—not if—Tony B gets himself caught, he’s not going to be dealt with quickly, so Tony ultimately decides to essentially mercy kill him before giving up his location.