Deaths of Fictional Characters (spoilers)

[patriot1123]

Something on Tumblr gave me the idea for this thread. Warning: spoiler for BtVS season 8 (it's been published for almost a year but people still seem to spoiler-notice it). Also, obviously, spoilers if you read about a death you weren't previously aware of, in any show or movie.

What fictional characters' deaths have made you feel true grief? And how do you feel about such a strong reaction to the death of a fictional character?

Until I discovered BtVS, my favorite television show was "24" and my favorite character of all time was Bill Buchanan, played by James Morrison (who, interestingly enough, is the same age as ASH and also has gorgeous hair and eyes and voice). When he sacrificed himself in season 7 to save the President, I was devastated for weeks. In fact, I was participating on a message board for the show, and I received wonderful support from most but was mocked by some for taking it so hard.

I don't think I'm strange. This was a character that, thanks to James Morrison's talent, I had truly grown to love AND truly enjoyed seeing in my living room every Monday night. It was a real loss for me that I would no longer see him on my television. Plus, I just loved the character and was sorry that he died.

Second was a Kiefer Sutherland movie, Cowboy Up. It was a pretty light movie -- with a very heavy ending. I was so incredibly shocked by that turn at the end, and devastated.

After that, probably "Old Yeller." 🙂

And, "ET" -- which just made it all the much more whoop-worthy when he came back. 🙂

And Spock in ST II "The Wrath of Khan." Except that, for some reason, I always knew he would come back.

Giles's death in season 8 doesn't bother me that much; perhaps because I have trouble accepting the comics as canon, or more likely because, I'm sorry, but Georges Jeanty's representation of Giles is wretched on every level and doesn't evoke "Giles" for me at all.

So how about y'all?

 

[The Scourge]

Spoilers for Angel, Fringe, Kick-Ass

Wesley's death in Angel. I was surprised at just how much I'd come to love him over the years. It was just so tragic, the way he lived and the way he died.

I also grieved at the beginning of season 2 of Fringe when they killed off Charlie Francis. He was my favorite character in the first season, and in my opinion the most competent and likable.

Big Daddy's death in Kick-Ass hit me harder than I thought it would. What made it even worse was that his brutal death was witnessed by his 11-year old daughter.

 

[patriot1123]

Wesley's death in Angel. I was surprised at just how much I'd come to love him over the years. It was just so tragic, the way he lived and the way he died.

I was gutted by this too. Forgot to mention it. Unfortunately, I was spoiled for it. Still ....

 

[white avenger]

The one that I remember the most is from when I was in the 2nd grade, and our teacher read "Charlotte's Web" to us. I was heartbroken for days. After that, (I'm not really sure that this qualifies, but it was the fictional DEPICTION of a real historical character, so...) Fess Parker as Davy Crockett when he died at the Alamo, even though they never actually showed him die.

The most unexpected one was when Spock died at the end of "The Wrath Of Khan." When Nimoy said, "I have been, and always shall be, your friend..." I really choked up. Then at his eulogy, Shatner saying, "Of my friend, I can only say that, of all the souls that I have known, his was the most...human." that broke the dam.

John Wayne dying at the end of "The Cowboys." (To this day, every time that I see Bruce Dern in a movie, I think, "There's the son of a b***h who shot the Duke in the back.")

Now I'm gonna go off somewhere private and have a good cry because of all the sad memories that this thread has brought back.

 

[Taake]

Might be unimaginative to stay within the lines of the Whedonverse but *spoiler for non-Firefly watchers* but

Spoiler

Wash

in Serenity. When I saw it in the theater me and my sister just about had a heartattack at that scene and to this day I have to cover my eyes when it comes around cause I just cannot stomach to see it again. I cannot accept that event. At all. And never will.

 

[Valjavertjinn]

Spoilers for Buffy (obviously) and Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.
Somehow, every favorite character I have in every fanverse has DIED. That's okay with me, because I have a love of angst. But I'm still sad to see them go. When I was younger, Qui-Gon Jinn's death in Star Wars devestated me. I now see that episode I was preeeety crappy, but I still feel kinda bad when I see him get gutted. I keep his name in my username as a tribute. 🙂
Also, Boromir from Lord of the Rings. I disliked the books

---------- Post added at 08:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:34 PM ----------

Spoilers for Buffy (obviously) and Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.
Somehow, every favorite character I have in every fanverse has DIED. That's okay with me, because I have a love of angst. But I'm still sad to see them go. When I was younger, Qui-Gon Jinn's death in Star Wars devestated me. I now see that episode I was preeeety crappy, but I still feel kinda bad when I see him get gutted. I keep his name in my username as a tribute. 🙂
Also, Boromir from Lord of the Rings. His death always gets to me in the movies. I like the movies better than the books. And that death scene kicks butt.
But I felt HORRIBLE for Jenny, of course.

 

[HalloweenRain]

Spoilers for Buffy, Clan of the Cave Bear, The Gunslinger, and ....Harry Potter(dont laugh)

I couldn't stand when Spike and Anya died, I cried, but I feel like it would have been much worse had the show continued on without them.

I was 14 years old the first time I read Clan of the Cave Bear, when Creb died...I lost it, I threw down the book and refused to read the last of it until I was 17.

Stephen King is known for killing off characters you grow to love, I don't understand it but I suppose it's just his thing. The death of Eddie Dean and Jake Chambers hit me like a ton of bricks.

I don't even want to talk about Severus Snape...I just don't.

 

[zobothehobo]

Well, I've mourned the loss of every Buffy character that died. Even the ones I didn't like.

And Vincent (Mr. Nigel-Murry) from Bones hurt me so bad. It didn't hurt this bad the first time I watched it because I was so glad the death wasn't a main character... but the second time on my rewatch... it hurt so bad... and now I can't stop thinking about how season 7 is going to feel empty without him. He was my favorite intern. Honestly, and people hate me when I say this but, I liked him better than Zack.

Those are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head... but in general, I'm a SUPER emotional person and I tend to be super emotional when any character dies.

 

[patriot1123]

Love the responses. It reaffirms what I think - that, if actor / writers are talented enough, we truly do become invested in a character and grieve when he or she dies.

And it vindicates me against the severe mocking I endured on the official Fox 24 forum when I was grieving for Bill Buchanan. Thanks for the support. 🙂

 

[xfivebyfive]

Spoilers for Smallville and Dollhouse

The two deaths to hit me the hardest so far were Tara from Buffy and Topher from Dollhouse. I cried for two hours after watching the Dollhouse finale. Topher was my favorite character after Echo and I was so sure they were going to kill him but I didnt want to believe it. And Tara, well everytime I watch seeing red I cry so hard my mom (who cries at everything) cant even cry because shes amazed by how upset I am lmao.

I'm almost up to the series finale of smallville and I know I'm going to like die of crying, hopefully I'm psyching myself out. But I found out when the show aired that Tess died and she is my favorite character. I've been mourning her for months and I haven't even seen it yet lol.

 

[Thamior]

I agree that an actor's portrayal of a character can have a great effect on how much you care for them, but I honestly think the writing is the most important part. A well written character, and, more importantly, a well written death, can make you grieve for an actor you may not have cared about.

For example (this does NOT need spoilers) the Futurama episode Jurassic Bark. Fry's dogs' death at the end is the most poignant animated moment ever. I didn't cry, but I came close, and this was for a dog who'd been in the show for all of one episode, and had been dead for 1000 years.

 

[badwolf]

The movie AI: Artificial Intelligence! When David goes to sleep for the very last time! I cried like a baby, in fact I think i was probably depressed for a while because of it. lol..

 

[Valjavertjinn]

Les Miserables
Oh, and Javert, Jean Valjean, Enjolras, Epponine, Fantine, and all of the students from Les Miserables.

 

[wickedtiger86]

Spoilers for "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak.

So yeah, "The Book Thief" is set in WW2 and narrated by Death. And the end of that book had me crying so hard that I used up 5 tissues just on wiping the tears out of my eyes so I could finish reading the book.

 

[LoveLoveLovix]

The movie AI: Artificial Intelligence! When David goes to sleep for the very last time! I cried like a baby, in fact I think i was probably depressed for a while because of it. lol..

This.

And Anya in Buffy, it didn't help that my friends used to compare me to Anya on a daily basis... I felt so connected to her. Anya was my spirit ex-demon.

And (don't you DARE look at this, Zo sweetie) in Puella Magi Madoka Magica,

Spoiler

the death of Mami really got to me... especially because I heard she was to come back to life, and she never did. Mami's death hit me harder every episode. In the same show, though she didn't *tecnically* die, the wichification of Sayaka's soul was just a horribly emotional scene for me... and Kyouko's sacrificial death that REALLY killed Sayaka... and Madoka's death in other timelines. Oh hell, all of the deaths in that show were so full of despair that I almost became a witch myself. I cried way too watching that.

 

[Cast No Shadow]

People probably won't have a clue what I'm on about, but there's a British medical drama called "Casualty", (the longest running in the world, might I add 😛 ) and when Patrick Spiller died in that, just after he'd proposed to Lara, I was absolutely devastated.