Self sacrifice

Self Sacrifice is where a character allows themselves to die in order to facilitate a greater good, whether that be protecting a loved one, saving a military unit, or defending the entire planet. Self sacrifice is different than suicide, which is the willful act of taking one's own life. In film, characters may commit suicide for any number of reasons ranging from terminal illness, depression, impending trauma, they are forced into it, and sometimes, even to prevent one's self from being turned into a zombie!