Great characters are those that manage to draw out emotions from readers. They can make you feel frustrated, sympathetic, and euphoric. You form a deep emotional connection with them as you progress through their stories.
That’s why if the character dies, it really sucks! While it sounds ridiculous to cry over fictional people, that’s just how powerful storytelling can be.
Saddest On-Screen Deaths
Movies and TV shows have created a ton of characters you just can’t help but fall in love with. Unfortunately for some characters, their death is part of the narrative.
Some of these deaths will fade from your memory after a while. But there are those whose deaths are so impactful that the pain remains as fresh as the day you watched them.
Here are some of the saddest deaths you’ll ever see on the big screen:
1. Charles Foster Kane from Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane’s titular protagonist, Charles Foster Kane, died at the very beginning of the movie—but not before dropping one of the most iconic last words in movie history: “Rosebud.”
As the world scrambles to learn what it means, you’re treated to an emotional rollercoaster as you discover more about the tycoon’s life.
2. Tony Stark from the Avengers Franchise
In Avengers: Endgame, the seemingly unstoppable Thanos is seconds away from achieving his plans, but Tony manages to steal the infinity stones and turn them against the Mad Titan instead. Unfortunately, the strain from using them kills him.
This death didn’t just leave a devastating impact on the Avengers, but also on the avid fans who’ve followed Iron Man since his movie debut in 2008.
3. George O’Malley from Grey’s Anatomy
Fans of the series collectively gasped when they learned the identity of the John Doe currently at death’s doors in the fifth season‘s final episode.
From George tracing his nickname on Meredith’s palm to Callie confirming his distinctive freckle, each reveal serves to amplify the audience’s growing horror.
4. Boromir from The Fellowship of the Ring
In the first LOTR movie, Boromir’s the only member of the Fellowship to succumb to the One Ring’s corruption. Though he tries to take the ring by force, he later makes amends by defending the Hobbits from Orcs and dying in the process.
The Fellowship gives him a fitting eulogy, with a haunting Elvish chorus being sung in the background. It’s one of the most memorable scenes in the trilogy.
5. Old Yeller from Old Yeller
In Old Yeller, a wandering dog becomes a close member of a family, especially to the teenage son, Travis. But when the dog becomes rabid after saving the family from an infected wolf, Travis is forced to put it down.
It’s a brutal representation of Travis’s lost innocence, tempered only by the chance at a new friendship in the form of Old Yeller’s pup.
6. Bambi’s Mother from Bambi
Bambi’s mom, the mate to the Great Prince of the Forest, is shot down by a hunter. Suddenly, young Bambi is left alone in the forest.
Though her death happens off-screen, the gunshot still echoes throughout the forest and the young minds of those who watched the film when they were kids.
7. John Coffey from The Green Mile
John Coffey is the hulking but soft-hearted death row prisoner at Cold Mountain Penitentiary. Tom Hanks’s character knows John is innocent, but is unable to save him from the electric chair.
And while John is more than ready to die, he begs not to die with a hood on his head because he’s afraid of the dark, which is what really gets to you.
8. Glenn from The Walking Dead
Atlanta pizza boy Glenn Rhee is one of the most beloved characters in The Walking Dead. And in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, he finds love, gets married, and has a child.
Then he’s beaten to death. The repeated sounds of a bat hitting flesh as his friends powerlessly look on makes for an unforgettable scene.
9. Maes Hughes from Fullmetal Alchemist
When the fun-loving Major discovers a vital secret about the strange events happening around the country, he becomes the target of those behind them.
Though he dies from a simple gunshot, his funeral hits the hardest. Especially when his daughter begins wondering why the soldiers are throwing dirt over her papa.
10. Ellie from Up
Though we only see most of her in a four-minute montage, Ellie’s death is one of the most emotional animation sequences that Pixar has ever done.
It was the end of a happy marriage and the start of Carl’s transformation into a grumpy, old loner. Thankfully, Russell comes into his life at the right time.
Saddest Literary Deaths
We don’t see them or hear them talk, but when a beloved book character dies, it hurts just the same. This pain is one of the marks of great characterization.
There are tons of writers who’ve pulled off some of the saddest deaths you’ll ever find in literature. Here are a few of them:
11. Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Charlotte is that cool friend who always knows the solution to every problem, even if it’s not hers, and she never expects anything in return.
So when she dies at the end of the book, it’s an awful surprise. Worse, she sends Wilbur and Templeton away before finally expiring alone.
12. Leslie from Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
When Leslie Burke moves in next door, Jess Aarons’s life is transformed. The two claim a piece of land and build a hidden sanctuary where they reign as monarchs. It’s the perfect setting for a budding friendship.
Then Leslie dies when as the rope she’s using to swing over a creek breaks, leading her to drown. It’s not Jess’s fault, but you can’t help but think how things would be different if only he were there.
13. Severus Snape in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
Severus Snape is one of those characters you were supposed to hate, which makes it more devastating when you learn who he really is.
Between his unrequited love and steadfast devotion to Lily, it’s awe-inspiring when you realize how much he’s sacrificed for her, only to die unrecognized.
14. Tom Robinson from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
It’s a sad day for justice when an innocent man is executed for a crime he did not commit. Disheartened by the verdict’s racial overtones, Tom attempts to flee, only to be shot down.
It’s the one time we see Atticus shaken to his core, not only at Tom’s death but also at the injustice of a biased legal system.
15. Anna Karenina from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Readers first meet Anna as a saintly figure who slowly devolves as she’s caught in an affair. In despair and confusion, she flings herself under a passing train and dies.
The saddest part about her death is that she’s not only escaping the falsehood of the world around her, but also what she has become.
16. Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Augustus Waters is the beautiful but flawed boy that the book’s protagonist falls for. And just like her, he’s also sick with cancer.
What makes his death so heart-breaking is that we know he’s terminally sick, but we still can’t help falling in love with him. Even though we can see his death from miles away, it doesn’t make it any less painful.
17. Beth March from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Elizabeth March is the shy and gentle sister of the March family. While her sisters lived a more adventurous life, Beth spent most of her time doing the housework to support them.
One day, Beth falls sick and never fully recovers. As her health slowly drains away, so does her chance to live a fuller life.
18. Lennie Small from Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
George and Lennie are inseparable friends with a dream to settle on their own piece of land, but an accident leads Lennie to be chased by a mob. Before they can lynch him, George is forced to kill his own best friend.
There are two things that make this death so tragic: a friend killing a friend, and the end of a promising dream.
19. Lavinia from Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare
Titus Andronicus is perhaps one of The Bard’s most graphic plays. In it, Lavinia, the daughter of a renowned general, is caught up in the revenge plots between her family and the emperor’s.
While her rape and mutilation is already vicious, her eventual death is far more so. She dies at the hands of her father, who does it just to prove a point to his enemies.
20. Boxer from Animal Farm by George Orwell
After the animals stage a revolt, Napoleon the pig exiles a rival and becomes the farm’s new ruler. He quickly sets himself up as a dictator, with his fellow pigs as his co-conspirators.
And when Boxer the horse defends the exile’s reputation, he is overworked until he collapses. The pigs then engineer his sale and slaughter in exchange for some whisky.
Why We Get Attached to Characters
There’s a reason why you respond emotionally to fictional characters. You know they’re not real, yet you bond with them as if they were real people. The short answer? Empathy.
While they only exist as words on a page, or as actors on a screen, the feelings and emotions they experience are all too real. In acknowledging that, you begin to form that important bond that carries you throughout the narrative.
Of course, that bond is only as effective as the characterization of a fictional person. Poorly constructed characters are hard to bond with because you actively acknowledge they’re not real.
Good characterization means that the fictional quality of a character fades into the background. This lets you immerse yourself in the narrative, experiencing a character’s experiences without any interference.
What’s the saddest character death you’ve ever read or watched? Share it in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- The Idiot Plot: Why Characters Often Make Dumb Decisions
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- 15 of the Best Crazy Characters in Literature
- Big Baddies: The 30 Best Villains On Screen and Paper
Cole is a blog writer and aspiring novelist. He has a degree in Communications and is an advocate of media and information literacy and responsible media practices. Aside from his interest in technology, crafts, and food, he’s also your typical science fiction and fantasy junkie, spending most of his free time reading through an ever-growing to-be-read list. It’s either that or procrastinating over actually writing his book. Wish him luck!
