There are countless movies known for the iconic characters they create, but sometimes a character receives an ending that they do not deserve. That is not to say that a sad ending is not sometimes satisfying, as many of thebest movies of all timefeature detrimental conclusions that leave viewers in tears. However, oftentimes a movie will deprive a character that deserves a happy or at least a peaceful ending, often by killing them off or granting them a fate worse than death.
The characters in these films are ones that fans identify with. Often part of long-running franchises,viewers are upset when characters receive what they believe is a bad ending,sometimes even arguing that an entire movie is ruined because of the treatment of said character. The impact of these characters is only made that much more when they are played by some of thebest actors of all time, allowing the characterization of them in the film to feel more real and tragic.
10Jack Dawson
Titanic (1997)
Jack’s death in James Cameron’s iconic filmTitanicis something that immediately upsets audiences even years later, but to many, it feels unearned. For years,fans of the film have argued back and forth about whether Rose could have saved Jack in the end.Regardless of whether he could have survived, the film inevitably ends with Jack and Rose’s romance being cut short when he sacrifices his own life when the Titanic goes down to ensure Rose’s survival.
Though the story of theTitanicis entirely true, the star-crossed romance between Jack and Rose is a work of fiction. With the creative liberties Cameron took when crafting the story of the film, Jack’s ending feels like an excuse to tug on viewers' heartstrings at best. A hopeful story could have emphasized the triumph of the real-life survivors while still mourning theTitanic’s genuine loss of life.
9Merlin
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
When the sequelKingsman: The Golden Circlewas set to release, fans were incredibly excited to see what the new spy thriller had in store. Riding on the coattails of the first film in the franchise,Kingsman: The Secret Service,it had a lot to live up to. However, where it succeeds in some vital elements, introducing captivating new characters and an engaging enemy to uncover, the movie also lets viewers down by killing off many of the characters the first film made so beloved.
Perhaps the most brutal of these deaths is that of Merlin, a character that comes across as almost a father figure to Eggsyas the film marches on. Not only does his death feel unearned with him standing on a land mine on the way to the final confrontation, but it also appears gratuitous. While his death is sweet because he saves Eggsy’s life while singing, it is unnecessary to the bigger story.
8Thomas J. Sennett
My Girl (1991)
The filmMy Girlis one very focused on the concept of death, with a young girl. Vada Sultenfuss, learning to cope with the death of her mother. During this painful time in her life, she grows terrified of death, something that is only made worse by the fact that her father runs a funeral parlor. As she learns to deal with this fear and the challenges that life throws at her, she befriends a boy named Thomas, played by actor Macaulay Culkin.
A sequel to the film titledMy Girl 2was released in 1994 and revolves around Vada in her teenage years.
In what is one ofthe saddest moments in any ’90s movie,Thomas dies as a result of a bee sting,something he is deathly allergic to.This comes despite the fact the movie seems to want to rehabilitate Vada, showing the path she takes in growing up and learning to cope. His death only serves to traumatize her further, causing both Vada and the viewer to feel hopeless by the end of the film.
7Han Solo
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
Being one ofthe most iconic sci-fi ship pilots of all time, Han Solo is a character with decades of history. He first appeared inStar Wars: Episode IV - A New Hopein 1977, played to perfection by the legendary Harrison Ford. He has since appeared in several otherStar Warsmovies, including a Han Solo origin film that shows the roots of the galaxy’s greatest scoundrel (played at a younger age by Alden Ehrenreich).
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However, despite the great love many have for this character, he met his untimely end by the time the credits rolled onStar Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.After trying desperately to reach out to his son, the fearsome Kylo Ren, he is thanked with a lightsaber to the stomach.Han Solo is killed by his own son,destroying any chance of him sharing a narrative arc reuniting with Ben, and bringing the character’s legacy of adventure and excitement to a tragic end.
6Hoban Washburne
Serenity (2005)
Originally debuting in the beloved but infamously short-lived television seriesFirefly,Hoban Washburne, better known as “Wash,” continues his story in the filmSerenity.The pilot of the titular ship and husband to fellow crewmate Zoë Alleyne Washburne, Wash was a character that was genuinely loved by the show’s dedicated fan base. So, when the show was finally given an ending with the 2005 movie, Wash’s death was not taken well by everyone.
Wash’s end comes while piloting through a battle between the Reavers and the Alliance,leading to his death in a ship crash. Though it is reasonable thatWash was killed off due to Alan Tudyk’s shooting scheduleand the possibility of a sequel, the fact that he died destroyed some of the momentum between the characters in the film. With such an important character gone, there was a hole that needed to be filled, something that would have been a problem going forward if there were to be any otherSerenityfilms.
5Professor Charles Xavier
Logan (2017)
Loganis a testament to the incredible stories that can be told through the medium of superhero narratives.Not only is it quite possibly one of the best Wolverine stories ever told, but it is also simply an incredible movie in its own right. This comes from the spot-on characterization and the gritty tone, something that is only made more and more apparent as the condition of legacy X-Men character Charles Xavier continues to deteriorate.
Built expertly from start to end, the dementia that Charles is afflicted by within the film is shown in agonizing detail. It is only made more painful by how it affects his powers, making his mind-altering abilities extremely potent and dangerous to others.Killed by another clone of Wolverine, Professor Xavier is deprived of the same poignant ending to his story that Logan receivesthrough his death by the end of the film.
4Peter Graham
Hereditary (2018)
A supernatural horror narrative that draws its scares not from the supernatural element, but from the character relationships and slow-building tension,Hereditaryis a master class in finding ways to unsettle the viewer. Following what initially seems to be the story of a young girl named Charlie and her brother Peter, the slow build-up explodes when Charlie suffers an allergic reaction at a party. This is only made worse on the desperate drive to the hospital, when Charlie sticks her head out of the car window in a desperate attempt to breathe, only to have her head torn clean off.
Blamed for his sister’s death and haunted by his mother’s actions both before and after, Peter is constantly surrounded by expectation and condemnation. There is no moment in the film that makes the viewer feel as though he is safe, with the only solace coming from the kindness his father affords him. What makes his situation worse is thathe doesn’t survive himself in the end, with Peter’s body being used to revive the spirit of a long-dead demon,making the film that much more painful to watch.
3Dewey Riley
Scream 5 (2022)
Having been a part of the famousScreamfranchise from the very beginning, fans were excited to see Dewey Riley make his grand return inScream 5.Now with a new Ghostface on the loose once again, the main characters turn to Dewey for help. However, the Dewey that they meet inScream 5is a different, much sadder version of the character seen in the original film.
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One of the first upsetting reveals comes when viewers learn thatDewey and his love interest, Gale Weathers, have since divorced.Not only that, but Dewey is killed off by the end of the film, attacked by Ghostface and unable to defend himself against the killer. It is a devastating end to a character who is so integral to the original film and who had seemingly escaped with his life.
2Erik Killmonger
Black Panther (2018)
Operating as both a compelling villain and tragic character, Erik Killmonger is the villain of the MCU’sBlack Panther. A villain with a noble cause,Killmonger fights against his cousin T’Challa in the hopes of forcibly ending oppression around the world.The two see eye to eye on many things and feel as though they could have genuinely been friends and family in another life, making the challenging dynamic between the two of them an interesting one to watch unfold.
Killmonger does succeed at first, supposedly killing T’Challa in the process of dethroning him. However, when T’Challa returns, their climactic battle ultimately ends with Killmonger’s death. This happens when it feels as though a sort of redemption arc would have been possible for the character and could have brought another iconic villain-turned-hero to the franchise who still had plenty of stories to tell.
1Ellen Ripley
Alien 3 (1992) & Alien: Resurrection (1997)
TheAlienfranchise is one adored by many, and this is in no small part due to the influence of the main character, Ellen Ripley. Known best for her desperate struggle to fight back against the alien Xenomorphs that plague her life, Ripley has found her way out of seemingly impossible situations. However, everything comes to a head at the end ofAlien 3,whenRipley dives into a flaming furnace to prevent the Xenomorph embryo inside of her from being used as a weapon.
Though it is sad enough that Ellen is prevented from living a happy life free from the constant fear of death from Xenomorphs or greedy corporations, for better or worse, her sacrifice is completely undone in the next film,Alien: Resurrection.She is brought back to life in the form of a clone, essentially preventing her from resting. Whether in death or in life, Ripley is unable to have a peaceful ending from any perspective, only making her a more tragic figure.
