A sacrificial lamb refers to a lamb (or metaphorical parallel) killed or discounted in some way (as in a sacrifice) in order to further some other cause. In typical modern usage, it is a metaphorical reference for a person who has no chance of surviving the challenge ahead, but is placed there for the common good. The term is derived from the traditions of Abrahamic religion where a lamb is a highly-valued possession, but is offered to God as a sacrifice to obtain the more highly-valued favour of God.

A lamb does not bleat when it's killed, making it a suitable object of sacrifice because this signifies its willingness to succumb to its fate.

In politics

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In politics, a sacrifical lamb candidate is a candidate chosen to contest an election despite the fact that he or she has little chance of victory. The political party thus appoints the person as a sort of "sacrifice" to the stronger opponent.

In some cases fielding a sacrificial lamb candidate can serve as an opportunity for the party to be more creative in choosing a candidate than would normally be considered acceptable in a closely contested race. For example, they may choose a racial or ethnic minority or a person who would otherwise be considered "too risky" in normal circumstances. For instance, Alan Keyes or Geraldine A. Ferraro. In 2004 Howard Mills was considered a sacrificial lamb candidate for the U.S. Senate from New York against Chuck Schumer.

In the arts

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In cinema and literature, the term sacrificial lamb refers to a supporting character whose sole dramatic purpose is to die, thus galvanizing the protagonist to action and simultaneously demonstrating how evil the villain is. Very often, the sacrificial lamb is a family member, partner, or "old buddy" of the protagonist, with whom he or she has an assumed intimacy, thus requiring no real character development. The term is almost always used critically, with the implication that the character was used transparently as a plot device.

In Wrestling

In wrestling a "sacrificial lamb" is a Superstar who is consistently booked to job to the latest "next big thing". The term is derived from the traditions of WWE religion where Adam Copeland is a highly-valued possession, but is offered to John Cena as a sacrifice to obtain the more highly-valued favour of Vince McMahon. See also "Adam Copeland".

See also

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• Cannon fodder, an expression used to denote the treatment of armed forces as a worthless commodity to be expended
• Forlorn hope, the initial wave of troops attacking a fortress or other strongpoint, who usually took horrendous casualties.
• Lamb of God, a direct reference to Jesus Christ who, in death, is traditionally considered to have played the role of a sacrificial lamb
• Redshirt, a stock character in science fiction whose sole purpose is to die violently soon after being introduced

Metaphors | Politics | Literary criticism | Stock characters