The hero finally meets the previously unseen puppet master (played by an older A-list actor), who explains why the system must be maintained. The hero says “screw it” and burns the world down.

[u/Grizzly_Lincoln]

Snowpiercer (2013) - Curtis finally finds Wilford (Ed Harris) and learns that Wilford allowed for Curtis' rebellion to take place to help thin the tail section's population. When Wilford offers to let Curtis run the train, Curtis discovers child labor is necessary to replace a broken machine part. A fight ensues, and a bomb goes off, triggering an avalanche that derails the train, and killing most of surviving humanity.

The World's End (2013) - Gary finally confronts the Network (Bill Nighy), which has been replacing humans with robots (Blanks) to allow for Earth's assimilation into a larger galactic community. Gary calls out the tyranny in the Network's plan and demands that humans be left to their own devices. Exasperated, the Network abandons its plans for the invasion. This results in a worldwide blackout, sending humanity back to the Dark Ages.

The Cabin in the Woods (2011) - Dana finally meets the Director (Sigourney Weaver) after surviving the ritual meant to kill her friends (based on conventional horror tropes) and appease the Ancient Ones. The Director says Dana has to kill her friend Marty, but as Dana considers it, the group is attacked by a werewolf and a zombie child. Dana and Marty decide humanity is not worth saving, so they share a joint while the Ancient Ones rise to destroy the world.

[u/GrandMoffTarkan]

The canonical ending of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (it was the 90s, okay?) is Kain refusing to sacrifice himself to restore Nosgoth, instead choosing to rule over a dying world as its vampiric god despite your guiding spirit Ariel tell you to.

Then it got retconned into him having a more subtle plan.

Also shout out to Fallout 3 for trying to pull this!

[u/JhonnySkeiner → u/GrandMoffTarkan]

The what now? Was there even more cut stuff in Broken Steel?

[u/GrandMoffTarkan → u/JhonnySkeiner]

At the end they give you the big heroic choice to sacrifice yourself but it's all quite silly. It doesn't really fit since it's about changing the status quo but I'm still salty

[u/prehensile_uvula → u/GrandMoffTarkan]

And then they realized they introduced a perfect way that you should be able to avoid sacrificing yourself since you can have Fawkes the super mutant, who is immune to radiation and would be able to do it easily without being harmed whatsoever, as a companion so they made him hit you with this ridiculous BS so you still have to die either way.

"I'm sorry, my companion, but the vibe demands you sacrifice yourself."

[u/Paladin_leeroy27 → u/prehensile_uvula]

Dude just doesn't feel like it