Death Sentence originates in Final Fantasy VII, released by Square in 1997 for the PlayStation. In the game it is an enemy skill and status effect that places a timer above a character, causing instant death when the countdown reaches zero. Clips and rips of its sound were later shared on soundboards and in gaming edits, where Final Fantasy fans and streamers reused it outside battles. It remains popular as a shorthand for a guaranteed loss, especially in RPG and retro gaming communities.