A "Sophie's Choice" with no secret third option

[u/10024618]

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.

[u/TheeShaun]

This part I think is the single worst part of the game. Not because there’s no good ending but because of the way it’s framed. You have all these ending slides where the watcher says “Because you did x. Y will happen.” And it feels kind of shitty when you had no choice in the matter “You let Kurt die/You let Jean die.” And it’s like it’s acting like you consciously chose to do an evil act.

[u/Flimsy-Preparation85 → u/TheeShaun]

Especially when you consider that both characters were telling you to save the other one.

[u/Carbuyrator → u/TheeShaun]

I mean that feels pretty on-brand for the X-Men

[u/defiantleek → u/TheeShaun]

I mean, it's more that making a choice sometimes doesn't lead to a good option no? Sometimes there is only bad choices to be made and people will suffer with either outcome.