Death is a natural part of life. It’s also a natural part of our favorite movies and TV shows. Sometimes, it can come as a shock and make us weep. Other times, it’s a pure revenge fantasy!
Below are 10+ character deaths that were completely unavoidable for one reason or another. Through their sacrifice , their respective movies, and TV shows, will live forever.
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Travis Bickle in *Taxi Driver*.
Through Travis Bickle’s slow descent into madness, the audience is shown how life can not only be random but futile as well.
The juxtaposition of Travis’ violent acts with society’s ironic acceptance of them doesn’t happen without his demise.
Darth Vader in *Star Wars: Episode VI – Return Of The Jedi*.
While Vader did redeem himself in the end, it was far too little and far too late.
His spiritual atonement would never have been able to answer for the thousands who’ve perished in his wake.
Colonel Kurtz in *Apocalypse now*.
Kurtz’s death was predestined from the very first line of dialogue in the film. But Apocalypse Now can also be taken as a grand allegory or statement on the war in Vietnam as a whole.
For that to really sink in, it has to be curtains for Kurtz.
Prince Hector in *Troy*.
Let’s take the historical facts out of the equation.
If Hector didn’t die, then the Greeks wouldn’t have had the time to gather their ships for a surprise attack in the bay. There would have been no “Trojan Horse,” and therefore no movie.
The Narrator in *Fight Club*.
A mind is a crowded thing under the best of circumstances. But when you have “Jack’s smirking revenge,” and Tyler Durden each competing for the same headspace, odds are trouble is going to ensue.
The narrator’s demise is the film’s self-fulfilling prophecy.
Bill from *Kill Bill: Volume 2*.
Bill is a bad bad man. He killed the fiance of his estranged lover, Beatrix Kiddo, out of spite. Bill then turned the weapon on Beatrix herself, all the while knowing that she was pregnant with his child.
Revenge is a dish best served cold, not luke-warm. I was literally cheering as she did Pai-Mei’s exploding heart technique!
William Wallace in *Braveheart*.
Once again, you can only take so much liberty with historical facts. It’s not like Mel could have had William just ride off into the sunset without raising a few eyebrows.
William’s sacrifice is what in-turn spurs the clans of Scotland to unite and fight as one.
Walter White in *Breaking Bad*.
My favorite Gotham City prosecutor once said that you either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. That much is certainly true about Walter White.
In the end, the man that was Walter died years ago. All that was left, was Heisenberg.
Obi-Wan Kenobi *Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope*.
Obi-Wan had to die for two main reasons. First, the act itself is incredibly symbolic. Vader is killing his own father, metaphorically speaking, and fully embracing the Dark Side.
Secondly, in committing this horrific act of violence, it gives Obi-Wan the power to ascend to a different astral plane, becoming a Force Ghost .
Joffrey Baratheon in *Game Of Thrones*.
Has there ever been a more reprehensibly repugnant character than Joffrey Baratheon? In the whole of Western literature, I cannot think of one.
His death helped set in motion the wrath of Queen Cersei and the inevitable fall of the Lannisters of King’s Landing.
Alonzo Harris in *Training Day*.
There’s a very old saying that says absolute power corrupts absolutely. Such was certainly the case for Alonzo Harris. This crooked cop had a god complex and a short fuse.
His death is a natural correction. Without it, the movie has no substance.
Ricky Baker in *Boz N Tha Hood*.
I love this movie. Laurence Fishburne and Cuba Gooding Jr. are at the top of their game and Ice-Cube is one heck of a supporting actor.
Ricky’s death is the reality faced by thousands of at-risk kids in gangland America. It’s also a stark reminder of the indifference of White America.
Nicky Santoro in *Casino*.
You can keep Goodfellas because to me, Casino is the greatest mob movie of all time.
Nicky was pond-scum who took what he wanted, when he wanted, without care or concern for anyone else. His death is vindication for the audience.
Mufasa in *The Lion King*.
Who’s to say what might have happened had Mufasa lived? One thing is for sure, we would never have gotten to hear the song “Hakuna Matata.”
So just solely on those grounds I adamantly proclaim “The King is dead ! Love live the King!”
Jax Teller from *Sons Of Anarchy*.
Prince Charming was doomed from the very moment he picked up the gavel. The President’s chair of SAMCRO has a way of polluting the soul and blackening the heart.
In the end, Jax was driven only by ambition, rage, and hate. His death was a mercy.
