Death is usually a tragic affair for belovedmoviecharacters, but some of them simply can’t be spared lest plot of the movie they’re introduced in fail to continue to develop. As devastating as thesaddest movie character deathscan be, they’re often very necessary for a variety of reasons.
Usually, a given death is necessary for thematic or arc-related reasons, with the narrative not having the same amount of weight or significance without the departure of those within. Other times,for a film’s plot to even exist at all, a death is necessary to set things up, marking the doom of certain unfortunate members of the cast.
8Mufasa
The Lion King
There are few roles more deadly than being aparent in a Disney movie, as their deaths often set up the unfortunate circumstances or drama surrounding the down-on-their-luck heroes at the start of their journeys. No expendable Disney parent traumatized children with their death more than Mufasa, Simba’s father inThe Lion Kingvoiced by the late great James Earl Jones.
ConsideringThe Lion Kingis basicallyHamletwith big cats, Mufasa’s death is essentially the entire inciting incident that puts the plot in motion. The major difference is that the audience is treated to plenty of time with Mufasa being a great father to the young, adorable Simba, making his demise hit all the harder when it does finally come.
7Everyone
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
The idea of spin-off movies that were totally divorced from the main Skywalker saga allowed theStar Warsfranchise to delve into totally new themes and tones, as demonstrated best byRogue One: A Star Wars Story.Even with the prequel’s darker setting,it was certainly a shock to see essentially every named character die via planetary annihilation.
This bold move makes sense in the overarching story, as none of the original characters introduced here were around in the rebellion for the originalStar Warsfilms. Not only that, but it drives home the theme of sacrifice in the face of evil, something that the amazing final scene with Darth Vader emphasizes as well.
6Duncan Idaho
Dune: Part 2
The trope of a noble sacrifice in which a single hero holds off a vastly overwhelming army long enough for the protagonist to escape is a well-worn idea, but few movies do it better than Denis Villenueve’sDune: Part 2.Here, Jason Momoa’s House Atreides swordmaster Duncan Idaho is killed after fending off a whopping 19 Sardaukar.
Dunacn’s death might not seem strictly necessary for film-onlyDunefans, but those familiar with the books know just how important his post-mortem legacy is. TheupcomingDune Messiahmight hint at how the genetic clones of Duncan will go on to play a massive role in the story to come.
5Iron Man
Avengers: Endgame
Perhaps the most famous and hard-hitting movie character death of the 21st century, the conclusion of Iron Man’s career in themovies of the Marvel Cinematic Universeis painful, but tragically necessary for the story to conclude.
After a long career as the flagship hero of the franchise, Iron Man dies after using the Infinity Stones.
It’s at this moment that the audience realizes that Doctor Strange’s one observed reality in which the heroes win relies on Tony dying, making it a potent and ironic sacrifice. Just as Tony Stark finds himself happy and settled down, he’s called upon to prove his heroism in the worst way possible.
4V
V For Vendetta
The big pervasive film ofV for Vendetta, the dystopian semi-superhero movie adapted from the famous Alan Moore comic of the same name, is the idea of martyrdom. Donning his iconic Guy Fawkes mask, the vigilante V undergoes a one-man crusade against the tyrannical regime ruling over Britain in Moore’s hellish near-future.
As V states, one can kill a man, but an idea is bulletproof. This phrase embodies his willingness to sacrifice himself to the cause, allowing the sparks of rebellion to take hold, which might not have otherwise happened if he wasn’t around to act as a martyr.If V were allowed to live, the entire film’s thesis statement would be rendered moot.
3Jack
Titanic
Another poignant sacrafice that wouldn’t allow a plot to move forward had it not happened, Jack’s fate inTitanicmight have been obvious from the start, but that doesn’t make it any less tragic. A poor lower-class passenger on the fateful boat voyage, Jack falls in love with the upper-crust passenger Rose, starting a whirlwind romance.
Sadly, their fling is interrupted by the ship’s infamous sinking. Considering Rose survives to tell the story in the film’s frame narrative, it makes sense that Jack would have to go to save her, though the logistics ofboth Jack and Rose fitting on the doorRose uses to float to safety can still be debated.
2Dr. Malcolm Crowe
The Sixth Sense
M. Night Shyamalan is known for the plot twists of his movies, but the fact that Bruce Willis' protagonist ofThe Sixth Sense, Dr. Malcolm Crowe, had been dead the entire time, is easily his best. When he fails to help a disturbed patient, the psychiatrist is attacked in his home, an event which seemingly causes him and his wife to drift apart.
But it turns out that Dr. Crowe was actually killed in this attack, explaining his wife’s frosty behavior as literally not being able to perceive him. Dr. Crowe only truly interacts with the young Cole, who has the ability to speak with the dead, resulting in one of the most fantastic movie surprises of all time.
1Thomas And Martha Wayne
Every Batman Movie Ever
The idea of superheroes being orphans is a bizarrely common phenomenon, but the loss of parents is integral to no character’s backstory quite like Batman. There have beenmany Batman movies of varying qualityover the years, but all of them concede this core element to the Dark Knight’s character.
It’s the drive for revenge for his parents that drives Bruce Wayne to dress up like a bat and fight crime in every movie version. Not every Batmanmovieshows the Waynes getting murdered, but their presence haunts any narrative that features Batman as the main character.
