Which fictional character's death affected you most?
Which fictional character's death affected you most?
For me, it was always Optimus Prime from The Transformers movie.
Wash's, in "Serenity". It was just so unexpected and abrupt, and it served to generate a sense of unease in the viewer; after Wash's death, no character seemed to be protected by plot armor. Granted, Shepherd Book bit it before Wash did, but the movie seemed to set him up to be separate from the rest of the crew. I loved that Whedon played with this concept of fragility in the ensuing battle, with Kaylee getting darted, Zoe getting sliced up, and Simon getting shot. And then, Mal's battle with the agent... I thought the misdirect was masterfully done.
I've been affected by character deaths before and since, but Wash's death was the only death I've seen in media that has made me worry for the safety of the other characters. It made a lot of sense outside of the movie, too, as "Serenity" was more or less a tribute to some IP that was never going to get resurrected. While watching the movie for the first time, I was left thinking: "what if Whedon just said 'fuck it'?"
"Dogmeat has died".
Oh no he fucking has not. Reload.
Robin Williams as the Bicentennial Man. The movie was okay; his performance was amazing. I've struggled with mortality for a while, like I expect a lot of people do, and to see him as a character who started their existence immortal, and to choose mortality. His death in the movie hit me much, much harder than I expected. I haven't watched the movie again since my first viewing because I'm honestly afraid of going through that again.
Jesus, because no one ever shuts up about it
Mufasa would be the most popular answer for us oldies.
Artax from The Neverending Story
Maes Hughes
Made me cry:
Gotta be Schindler's List. That movie was so goddamn sad, and I just started sobbing when I saw that splash of red color. You know when. Ooof. A masterpiece I will never watch again.
For a more recent example, I watched the second season of Arcane. Lots of sad scenes, but anyone else who has watched it knows the most heart-wrenching one:
spoiler
Cried manly tears when Isha sacrificed herself to save Jinx.
Left me disturbed:
Another Spielberg movie, Saving Private Ryan. Didn't cry when the Nazi soldier sloooooowly stabbed Mellish to death. But afterwards, I had nightmares about it for months. Cripes, what a brutal death scene.
Arthur Morgan's death scene in RDR2 really got to me. But perhaps even more so, when my horse was killed right before. I remember pausing the game for a moment because I had had that horse for so long and somehow it felt like a major deal that happened so quickly.
Never had a game affect me like that before.
This is all spoilers, spoiler tagging doesn't really work so proceed with caution
Several from the Misborn series really hurt. I think Vin's death most affected me, but Kelsier was a hard one to swallow as well.
I think the biggest impact though is probably from Swan Song? Sister Creep hit me so hard. I read the book young and I'd never read anything so bittersweet and hopeful but so painful. It really stamped some new emotions in me I think.
Or, gosh, almost anyone in Bly Manor, but especially Dani.
Gurren Lagan Spoilers
Kamina
John Marston. There are a lot of character deaths that really hit me hard. Hank from Breaking Bad comes to mind.
But man, John's death just hits so deeply. I played RDR a good 4 or so years after its release, so I knew it was coming. Even then, it barely felt real. And you better believe I was frantically trying to mark all those Pinkertons to help John get through it.
The dragon from Dragonheart. It was my first time being sad from a movie.
The last one i remember is the Going Merry from One Piece
Hedwig and Fred Weasley
Optimus Prime was a real shock for sure. For me it’s any animal death.
- Artax from The Neverending Story
- The dogs from Where the Red Fern Grows
- There’s a scene in the Sci-fi novel Armor where a puppy falls in a well and its owner, a child, unable to rescue it ,has to kill it by dropping stones on it to spare it drowning. I read that a long time ago, probably in the 80s, and it still haunts me.
Artax
Charlie from all dogs go to heaven.
Charlie in Lost sticks with me
And for my Stormlight fans >!Teft's death still hurts. He had grown so much...😭!<
Marley from Marley and Me
Lot’s wife from the Bible. They did my girl wrong.
Chewbacca
spoiler
He sacrificed himself to save Anakin Solo on Sernpidal.
At the start of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, before the galaxy even knew of the enemy they would soon be facing, the Millenial Falcon was on Sernipdal to pick up a shipment. Sernipdal's moon was falling, actually being pulled down by a Vong lifeform that manipulates gravity. The Falcon was being loaded with evacuees and Anakin Solo was hit by a blast of wind taking him away from the ship. Chewy chases Anakin down, scoops him up, and rushes back to the Falcon. He's just able to get Anakin into the ship when another shockwave hits, knocking Chewy away from the Falcon. With no time left, Han is forced to take off or lose everyone on board. Chewbacca understands and as a last defiant act he throws his arms wide and bellows out a might rookie roar.Chewbacca's death hit me damn hard when I read that book. Recalling it now to write this even brought tears to my eyes. A hero so noble and mighty it took a moon to defeat him.
Anakin's death later in the same series was pretty awesome but not as wrenching emotionally.
I've kept this vague, but still, SPOILERS ahead for The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie. SPOILERS. I'll see if I can get the damn spoiler tag working, but SPOILERS.
EDIT: No dice, I can't seem to get the spoiler tag working on Interstellar.
<details><summary> Spoilers for The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie</summary>
At the very end of the ninth and final book of the First Law series by Joe Abercrombie, your favorite character (possibly just of the series, but they might be your favorite fictional character ever) that you've spent three books getting to know and love and cherish is fucking executed in front of people they love and then you find out that execution was orchestrated by the second best character in the entire nine book series. It felt like my heart was being ripped up and I fukken wept like a small child. My partner was angry and depressed for months because this character stood for so much that was good and hopeful and then they just fucking died in such a horrible way. Joe Abercrombie is a fucking amazing writer for being able to elicit an emotional response like that and he's a bastard for doing so. The moment is totally earned and I'd highly recommend the books. Just make sure you're in a good place emotionally before you start the last one.
</details>
Jiraiya from Naruto Shippuden. Felt like my own family member passed when they killed him off.
Edit: Also, Sergeant Johnson in Halo 3.
Nagisa Furukawa. Messed me right up.
Richard Harrow in Boardwalk Empire. The episode was amazing and the send-off was beautifully written but, boy, was it sad.
Kanan from Star Wars Rebels.
Life is strange - Kate's Suicide
I honestly think you got robbed if you managed to save her on your first play through
Rob and Catelyn Stark in the Red Wedding. So traumatizing!
Marley and Me
Dexter: when his wife gets killed and they pan over to that shot of her in the bathtub i literally threw my mouse against the wall.
Grave of fireflies. Just... Yeah.
Rita Morgan.
That episode was NOT OK.
I was not ok for about a week.
As a kid the biggest one I can remember was Wolf, from the book The Talisman (King/Straub). Hurts to this day.
Terminator 2, when Arnold goes down in the magma
ok so this is a spoiler for the movie enemy mine and supernatural but its when
spoiler-title
the alien seems to die in the middle. I saw it in theaters and im like. this is the best movie ever for awhile anyway. I had a similar reaction to the first episode of supernatural
Not my most, but also not already in the thread:
Duella's in BSG.
............. which time? he's died in like, 3 of them now
Kamina and Yang Wen-li
Ofelia
Saetan SaDiablo & Jaenelle Angelline from The Black Jewels Series. They both had me ugly crying in front of people.
The character who died in Sea of Stars made me and my kid cry. Not saying more.
Maggie from Million Dollar Baby. I wept for a while after that. Still can't watch it without weeping.
The protagonist in Farewell My Concubine. And then again when he suicided in real life
Oh boy, I've cried a lot for Guido from La vita è bella, Setsuko+Seita from Hotaru no Haka, Chrono from Chrono Trigger, Ace from One Piece and after a time I just started thinking and talking with some friends or my sister about those movies/game/series.
Ka'Dargo in "Farscape Peacekeeper War". They were on their way for Moya to pick them up. The worst of the fighting was over and BAM.
At least he went out as a warrior.
Bridge to Terabithia
!Leslie!<
Poussey Washington hurt.
Athelstan from Vikings.
Mrs. Madrigal, Tales Of The City
Recency bias, but John Grady Cole
Just like Jesus, He didn't even really die. He went away for a few days and on the third day he rose again so that all may follow him and enjoy everlasting life.
!Sayori in Doki Doki Literature Club!<. Hot Dam did that hit like a brick wall
John Cofey in The Green Mile.
Lessons in Chemistry.
Richard Gere in Hachi.
Dors Venabili
It’s a constant stream but most recently it was Swindler from Akudama Drive because she didn’t deserve anything that happened to her.
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
spoiler
the dog Searchlight dies in the end, and it fucking killed me as a child when I read this
Alzire Maheu in Germinal. Thinking on it now maybe that's one of the reasons I'm pro union
In Omori
Title
Mari's death and how it happened - I still feel pressure on my chest whenever I think about it. Since a missclick lead me accidentally to the alternative ending at first, it was even worse...