!Sayori in Doki Doki Literature Club!<. Hot Dam did that hit like a brick wall
2B from Nier: Automata...
Athelstan from Vikings.
Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood spoiler:
Tap for spoiler
Mayes Hughes
Wash's, in "Serenity". It was just so unexpected and abrupt, and it served to generate a sense of unease in the viewer; after Wash's death, no character seemed to be protected by plot armor. Granted, Shepherd Book bit it before Wash did, but the movie seemed to set him up to be separate from the rest of the crew. I loved that Whedon played with this concept of fragility in the ensuing battle, with Kaylee getting darted, Zoe getting sliced up, and Simon getting shot. And then, Mal's battle with the agent... I thought the misdirect was masterfully done.
I've been affected by character deaths before and since, but Wash's death was the only death I've seen in media that has made me worry for the safety of the other characters. It made a lot of sense outside of the movie, too, as "Serenity" was more or less a tribute to some IP that was never going to get resurrected. While watching the movie for the first time, I was left thinking: "what if Whedon just said 'fuck it'?"
"I am a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar." are some damn fine final words.
You can't take the sky from me.
The gut punch was Gina Torres, and Zoe not being allowed to grieve and be with Wash.
I watched Serenity again a couple years ago, and it was just as harsh and abrupt as I remember it. It's a hard emotional jab at anyone who has ever loved a partner that's a part of their everyday life.
There's something people always leave out in all this. The crash right before wash dies really feels as if serenity could be totaled. So first that crash... Then all of that
"Dogmeat has died".
Oh no he fucking has not. Reload.
Rob and Catelyn Stark in the Red Wedding. So traumatizing!
Companion cube
You monster
I probably haven't seen The Neverending Story in 25 years, but I still think about Artax from time to time. Fuckin' Swamp of Sadness…
The 80s were so brutal. We had a kids movie that starts with the main character's horse dying from sadness.
Sirius Black in Harry Potter. I had to go back and reread the paragraph several times, then put the book down. Seemed just so unfair.
Put in there just as a cheap way to get emotional reactions from the audience, it's the story telling equivalent of having the dog in the story die.
Especially since his death didn't really do anything. He didnt sacrifice himself or saved anyone and his death wasn't discussed much after the initial shock. I assume he had to be out of the picture so Harry could go Horcrux hunting, without him interfering
Technically, Sirius is the dog in the story.
Joyce Summers. That episode of Buffy was a masterpiece.
Holy hell, that was so brutal. How she was just lying there, with eyes open and all
Jesus, because no one ever shuts up about it
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
spoiler
the dog Searchlight dies in the end, and it fucking killed me as a child when I read this
Bridge to Terabithia
!Leslie!<
First time I saw Wash die in firefly was brutal.
More recently, after watching better call Saul I am heartbroken over Mike's death. Particularly for Stacey and Kaylee.
I think, due to lack of diagnosis and medication, plus age - I was barely double digits - Aeris/Aerith in FF7.
I had no spoilers. And it wasn't so much the death itself, it was the fact that I had fucking FARMED shit for her. She's healer coded? I already had a history with RPGs, and healers are worth their weight in gold.
I think all that time and effort invested really solidified it.
Also, I had phoenix downs. WTF?
The 'dead' status is more properly 'unconscious' in Final Fantasy games, and is sometimes actually translated that way. FF5 even has a scene where they try using phoenix downs on a genuinely dead character and it doesn't work.
Robin Williams as the Bicentennial Man. The movie was okay; his performance was amazing. I've struggled with mortality for a while, like I expect a lot of people do, and to see him as a character who started their existence immortal, and to choose mortality. His death in the movie hit me much, much harder than I expected. I haven't watched the movie again since my first viewing because I'm honestly afraid of going through that again.
Optimus Prime was a real shock for sure. For me it’s any animal death.
Breaking bad spoilers
spoiler
Mike from Breaking Bad😔. Had to stop watching for a few days after that
Grave of fireflies. Just... Yeah.
Mordin Solus from Mass Effect.
"Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong"
Bambi's mother.
Runner-ups:
Big dan and little anne from where the red fern grows. Fucked me up at like age 10
Cyberpunk 2077 spoiler:
Tap for spoiler
Jackie Wells. Damn that broke me up; the whole buildup in Act1 to that scene was so artfully done. So immersed. Really felt like I lost my anchor and best friend in that fucked up life.
I’ll ride his Arch til the day I can’t. Not a scratch.
I’ll ride his Arch til the day I can’t. Not a scratch.
Riding a vehicle without ever letting it get a scratch in Cyberpunk 2077 is quite impressive. I think I "scratched" Jackie's bike in under a minute when I got it in my first playthrough.
It’s a metaphor. :) Pretty sure I wrecked it completely within a few minutes lol. But the auto-insurance, what’s it like $50 eddies? covers the not a scratch part.
Artax from The Neverending Story
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