fridging

Fridging is a common practice in comics and general media where another character exists to die or be hurt for the sole purpose of furthering another character's plot. Though the term was originally coined by Gail Simone in 1999 as "Women in refrigerators" (In reference to a plotline where the green lantern found her newly introduced girlfriend sliced up in a fridge) though it may still refer to the same mistreatment of female characters, it has become less gendered over time and the definition has become less niche to involve somewhat characterized cast members as well as new ones. Some prominent examples of fridging include: Uncle ben every single character to date deadpool every single orphaned characters' parents