sacrificial lamb
贖罪の羊
Cadmean victory, in which a sacrificial lamb either loses a battle or dies but whose actions lead to a greater victory
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 (character), a stock character in science fiction whose sole purpose is to die violently soon after being introduced