40 Fictional Characters Whose Deaths Many Of Us Never Got Over

As we dive into the world of fiction, we can’t help but become attached to the characters that inhabit it. We become invested in their stories, cheering them on as they face challenges and triumphs, and feeling their pain as if it were our own. So when a beloved character dies, it’s no surprise that it can leave us sobbing and heartbroken.

In a recent Reddit thread, users shared the saddest fictional character deaths they’ve experienced, and it’s a testament to the power of empathy and the human connection to storytelling.

Here are some of the fictional character deaths people will never get over.

1.

MaterialScientist420 said:

Ellie from UP gets me every time

cycloptian_tit replied:

Sometimes I wonder how movies ever took off when the first ones were short with no sound.

Then I remember the time a 10-minute animation with no dialogue absolutely wrecked me. It’s a god-damned masterpiece and I hate it.

2.

Admirable_Dream_ said:

John Coffey in the Green Mile.

There’s a passage in the book (around the time Paul and Brutal and Harry take John to see Melinda Moores) when they pass through the room that houses the electric chair and John remarks about Old Sparky and how he can hear voices coming from it, screaming.

colddeaddrummer replied:

After religiously watching the film and reading the book a handful of times, it hurts so much to know John has to ride the lightning in that same chair, despite being a being of pure light and magic. He’s one of King’s all-time great characters: a simple, unassuming creature of mythical power, tender wisdom, and infinite generosity.

3.

FindingBeemo said:

The dog in I Am Legend.

4.

Possible_Industry816 said:

Fry’s dog Seymour from Futurama.

xfalinex replied:

“I will wait for you, ‘till you’re back beside me.”

rocks back and forth in a pool of tears

5.

Kross516 said:

Brooks, Shawshank Redemption.

It was just so damn sad to see someone so heavily institutionalized. And honestly, I didn’t even realize what was happening in that scene until after he had already carved “Brooks was here” into the beam. It gets me every time. Poor Jake 🙁

6.

Exciting_Pepper_69 said:

Marley in Marley and me

7.

Dragon_Queen79 said:

Sirius Black from Harry Potter. He was my favorite character.

8.

peeshermanfortytwo said:

Thomas J. Sennett in My Girl.

“He can’t see without his glasses”

BCouto replied:

I totally forgot about that movie. That was traumatic for a child.

9.

DietCokeDude13 said:

Tadashi Hamada from Big Hero 6. Dude was working on a robot to help others and died in an attempt to help others. What a guy

10.

ChuckZombie said:

Bubba in Forrest Gump.

That whole scene had me wrecked. From Bubba’s weak, “I wanna go home,” to Forrest’s narration saying he died by that river in Vietnam while showing him holding Bubba…..God damn, I’m crying just thinking about it.

11.

dietrich94 said:

Dobby the house elf. I sobbed reading it and watching it.

primeprover replied:

“Such a beautiful place, to be with friends. Dobby is happy to be with his friend, Harry Potter.”

12.

crooksndragons said:

Bing Bong :((( the whole “take her to the moon for me” got me in SHAMBLES

13.

Fluid-Nail said:

Daisy, John Wick’s dog.

14.

QuitComplaing said:

So cliché, but Severus Snape

15.

thatbitch8008 said:

Mufasa’s death gets me every time

16.

Honest-Ad-2169 said:

Hedwig. Such a small death, but it really helped to show the pointlessness of war

17.

hodges2 said:

Tony Stark

lostmymainprof replied:

Tony Stark had the best goddamn character development through the entire phase 1/ infinity war saga, I will die on this hill.

18.

bananafish_8 said:

Boromir! My brother, my captain, my king.

TheLonelySnail replied:

They took the little ones!

19.

ozinou said:

Eddie in Stranger Things

20.

ThrowRagoo said:

Glen from the walking dead. Him looking over at Maggie as he was dying, destroyed me.

21.

bgb8987 said:

Honestly I was really invested in GoT (up to a point) and Hodor’s whole story and death were so depressing. Just one of those characters that deserved so much better

22.

Smurfeyyy said:

Wilson from cast away

23.

Anything-Live said:

Wolverine in Logan, that was such a great ending to his story but damn if it wasn’t sad

24.

__BigBoi__ said:

Pops from Regular Show

He was the literal embodiment of good and he died saving the universe from and with his brother. He was such an innocent and friendly guy who was kind to everyone he met. I still tear up seeing the finale to this day.

Edit: His last words to Mordecai and Rigby especially hurt.

“I know you’re sad, but I promise this is a good ending. Take care of each other. Goodbye.”

25.

Tuna-No-Crust said:

Saving Private Ryan has two of the saddest, most brutally gut-wrenching deaths I’ve ever seen on screen in Wade and Mellish. Wade trying to talk the guys through his injury that goes from panic and terror to acceptance of his own death as he cries out for his mother and says “I want to go home”? Jesus Christ. Mellish is brutal for all the more uncomfortable and raw reasons you’d imagine. War is horrific. Young men are sent off to die and their lives are cut short for no reason. It’s tragic and heartbreaking and this is one of the only movies to really nail that feeling

26.

Donkeywad said:

Artax. Time has not healed that wound yet.

27.

nobodysama said:

Yondu, gardians of the galaxy

28.

pwrightPT said:

Cedric Diggory, not his death per say, but his fathers reaction holding his son screaming “My boy! My boy!” F***s me up every time.

29.

FlysaMinelly said:

Fred Weasley.

someone replied:

Tonks and Lupin in the same scene too. Brutal

30.

nerph_herder said:

Charlotte.

Drakaena added:

“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”

31.

Senior_Atmosphere303 said:

Wash, pilot of the firefly class serenity. He’s a leaf on the wind.

32.

Salami_sub said:

Henry Blake. MAS*H. The scene in the operating room. The actors weren’t told about it, just called back for one last scene shoot and Radar walks in and tells them. The silence is amplified by the sounds of instruments still working. Haunting

GaussfaceKilla added:

Piggy backing off this, the guy they tried to keep alive so his kids wouldn’t remember Christmas as the day their dad died. That one gets me just thinking about it.

33.

SuvenPan said:

Leslie Burke, Bridge to Terabithia

I didn’t expect it at all, It said Family/Fantasy and was made by Disney.

34.

24Nitro-gamer said:

Stoick the Vast
How to train your dragon

Dude literally just reunited with his wife after over 15 years of being gone and spends a total of about 15 minutes with her.

Cause of death: basically took a bullet in the chest to protect his son.

ThePurpleMister replied:

I saw it in theatres and a bunch of kids started to cry. Not like sniffing but out loud wailing. It added to the atmosphere.

35.

Lisa_Anns_Ass said:

Spock, in “Wrath of Khan”.

MadMacs77 replied:

“‘I have been, and always shall be, your friend’.”

bozoconnors replied:

Arguably, Shatner’s finest moment imo. That tremoring ‘no…’ after he sinks down. F**king devastates me. Every time. Start tearing up again on “Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most… human.”

36.

2-DMan said:

Little-foot’s mother’s death

isurfnude4foods replied:

My son fell in love with this movie when he was 3 or 4, and every time that part would come on I would have to leave the room because no matter what age I am, I will always get emotional. Something about the music and the overall vibe that really just punches me in the gut.

fiofo replied:

The music plus the quote “Let your heart guide you. It whispers, so listen closely”. It’s so beautiful and tragic.