Warning: This article contains character death spoilers for books, films, and television shows.
We're all victims of good writing; characters so developed and thought out that we become invested in their fictional lives. It doesn't matter if we know them for the length of a novel or for a couple of hours of a movie or show. Nor does it matter that we'll never meet them outside of our imaginations. A well written character can be as dear to our hearts as a living being can be.
But then, some creators like to rip our new found friends away from us. With just a moment on the screen or the turn of the page, creators crush fans' hearts by killing off beloved characters all of the time.
Redditor u/BeansAreNotCorn opened up some old wounds when they asked... "Which fictional character's death hit you the hardest?"
**spoilers ahead**
20. One of the saddest video game deaths
Giphy"Lee Telltales the walking Dead Clementines desperation just broke my heart"
19. Disney knows how to hurt us
"Ellie Frederickson from UP. I wasn't really phased by it when I was young. But in retrospect, her death is pretty heartbreaking."
18. So iconic, that I don't have to give a source
"'Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good.'"
17. The whole movie is about a dog that dies over and over again
"the Retriever and German Shepherd in A Dogs Purpose"
16. An educated prediction
"Hasnt happened yet but when and if it does it'll be All Might's"
15. This hit many people hard
"Arthur Morgan from red dead Redemption two. This is the first time I've ever cried bc of a game character. The whole story line made him feel so real."
14. Poor Newt
"Newt from maze runner. Got really attached to him as a character from the books."
13. I didn't see it coming and I couldn't believe it
"Eddie Kaspbrak's from IT Chapter two"
12. No one understands
"jack dawson from the titanic. i watched that movie every day as a kid and i couldn't understand why he couldn't climb on the board with her."
11. I never thought I'd cry for a spider
"Charlotte from Charlotte's Web. I read the book to my daughter when she was a toddler and I couldn't finish it from crying so hard. The cartoon movie kills me as well."
10. "I'm tired, boss."
"'I'm tired, boss.'
Cried the first time I saw John Coffey die in the Green Mile, and will cry any time I watch it
Also, the little girl in the red coat in Schindler's List."
9. We all cried when our teacher showed us this movie
Giphy"The Iron Giant's death. 'I go. You stay. No following.'"
8. “I wanna go home Forrest”
"I'm surprised nobody has mention Bubba from Forrest Gump
That 'I wanna go home Forrest' line KILLS me every time and I've seen the movie at least 8 times. I almost teared up just now thinking about it."
7. My jaw hit the floor when I first read the book
"Leslie Burke in Bridge To Terebithia. I couldn't handle it the first time I read it, and it took me ages to actually finish the book"
6. Everything is sadder after a pet dies
"Lee Scoresby and Hester in His Dark Materials. It was a heart wrenching scene on its own, but my bunny had died not too long before the first time I read the book. I still skip that part on every re-read."
5. Every little thing will not be alright
"The dog from I Am Legend. You can bet I let my dog sleep in the bed with me that night."
4. It was an awful way to be written off
"Prince Oberyn.
I wasn't even attached to the character, it was just the way that he died. I saw it coming as soon as he got cocky but did not expect it to be so brutal!"
3. And I made up my mind to stop watching the show
"Hank from Breaking bad. DID NOT EXPECT THAT."
"He made up his mind ten minutes ago."
2. Every “Potter” reader has had their heart shattered
"Sirius Black. Sorry Dumbledore, Dobby, Hedwig, Snape, and the 99999 others that died"
"Dobby hit me hard. Such a beautiful place, to be with friends. Dobby is happy to be with his friend, Harry Potter."
1. The saddest cartoon death, no arguments
Giphy"Mufasa"
"That's the one that gets me too!! No other movie can do that to me, when simba's pawing at his dad and realizing he's dead actually breaks my heart. Every time."
@riccigrams/Instagram
@ronandusty/Bluesky
@mallowtree/Instagram
r/entertainment/Reddit
r/entertainment/Reddit
@Pea420Mendoza/X
@charise_studesville/Instagram
@soundingline/Bluesky
@Calkayes/X
@veronicaseesthings/Instagram
@missmarplesback/Bluesky
@DHSgov/X
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social
