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Most of the time, people believe the best movies are the ones with happy endings. Everyone survives whatever Big Bad they come across, and once the finale comes, they walk off into the sunset, embracing each other. However, not all masterpieces include a fairy-tale ending.
In fact, people from this Reddit thread are sharing the best movies where (SPOILER ALERT!) the main character dies. GASPS. See below for some of the top answers.
**Heads Up! There are major movie spoilers ahead!!**
How they die: After defeating Commodus in their final duel, Maximus succumbs to his wounds.
How they die: Captain John gets shot by a German soldier, nicknamed "Steamboat Willie."
3. “The Departed (2006).”
How they die: In an elevator, Billy is shot and killed by Trooper Barrigan (James Badge Dale).
4. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).”
How they die: After sending the Death Star plans to the Rebel Alliance, Cassian and Jyn die in an explosion on the planet Scarif.
5. “Léon: The Professional (1994).”
How they die: Norman shoots Léon in the back.
How they die: Logan gets impaled by a large tree branch by X-24 (Hugh Jackman) and dies from his wounds while protecting Laura/X23.
7. “No Country for Old Men (2007).”
How they die: Llewelyn gets killed off-screen by a Mexican cartel.
8. “Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979).”
How they die: Brian is sentenced to crucifixion by the Romans.
9. “Pan’s Labyrinth (2006).”
How they die: Her stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López), shoots Ofelia, and she dies from her injuries.
10. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).”
How they die: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are killed in a final charge against a Bolivian army.
11. “Philadelphia (1993).”
How they die: Andrew dies from AIDS complications.
12. “Man on Fire (2004).”
How they die: After rescuing Pita, John Creasy dies from a severe gunshot wound.
13. “V for Vendetta (2005).”
How they die: After a brutal fight with Peter Creedy (Tim Pigott-Smith) and his men, V dies from severe gunshot wounds.
14. “The Sixth Sense (1999).”
How they die: Dr. Malcolm is revealed to have died from being shot by Vincent Grey (Donnie Wahlberg) and has been dead the entire time.
15. “Life is Beautiful (1997).”
How they die: Guido is shot and killed off-screen by a Nazi soldier in an alleyway.
16. “Gran Torino (2008)."
How they die: Walt sacrifices himself and is shot multiple times and killed by the Hmong gang.
17. “Children of Men (2006).”
How they die: After being shot by Luke (Chiwetel Ejiofor) during the military assault on the refugee camp in Bexhill, Theo dies from his gunshot wounds.
18. “All Quiet on the Western Front (2022).”
How they die: Just seconds before the armistice takes effect at 11:00 AM, Paul is bayoneted from behind.
19. “American Beauty (1999).”
How they die: Lester is shot in the back of the head by an unknown figure.
How they die: Old Yeller gets rabies after protecting the Coates family from a wolf, and Travis has no choice but to shoot him.
How they die: Chief Brody puts a scuba tank in the shark's mouth and shoots it, causing it to explode.
22. “The Green Mile (1999).”
How they die: John is unable to be proven innocent and is executed in the end.
How they die: William is beheaded during his execution after screaming, "Freedom."
24. “Thelma & Louise (1991).”
How they die: Thelma and Louise drive off a cliff to their death to avoid being captured by the police.
25. “Watership Down (1978).”
How they die: Hazel dies peacefully of old age at the end.
26. “Fallen (1998 film).”
How they die: John poisons himself with a cigarette laced with venom to trap and kill the demon, Azazel.
27. “I Am Legend (2007).”
How they die: Robert sacrifices himself and jumps into a horde of Darkseekers while holding a grenade.
28. “Donnie Darko (2001).”
How they die: A falling jet engine crashes through Donnie's bedroom ceiling, crushing him.
29. “All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989).”
How they die: Charlie decides to sacrifice himself by saving Anne-Marie.
30. “Train to Busan (2016).”
How they die: While fighting, Seok-Woo gets bitten by the zombified Yon-Suk (Kim Eui-Sung), so he decides to sacrifice himself by jumping off the train before he turns.
31. “The Dead Zone (1983).”
How they die: Johnny gets shot by Greg Stillson's (Martin Sheen) bodyguard and dies in Sarah Bracknell's (Brooke Adams) arms.
How they die: Marion is stabbed to death by Norman while she's in the shower.
How they die: Eric dies twice. First, he is stabbed and thrown out of a loft window by a violent gang on Devil's Night. Then, years later, after completing his revenge, he returns to his grave with his spirit at peace.
34. “Promising Young Woman (2020).”
How they die: While trying to attack Al Monroe (Chris Lowell), Cassie gets overpowered by him, and he suffocates her to death.
35. “Charlotte’s Web (2006).”
How they die: Charlotte dies of old age at the fairgrounds.
How they die: After the remote detonator breaks, Harry sacrifices himself by manually detonating the nuclear bomb on the asteroid.
37. And finally, “Avengers: Endgame (2019).”
How they die: Tony sacrifices himself by using the Infinity Stones to wipe out Thanos and his army. He dies from the stones' overwhelming power.
While the main characters do die at the end, it doesn’t mean the movies themselves aren’t amazing. All of these classic movies with bittersweet endings have proven to be examples of cinematic excellence.
What other movie did you think was great, even though the main character dies? Please share the best movies where the main character dies in the comments below! Or, if you would like to stay anonymous, please use the form below!
Note: Responses have been edits for length and clarity.
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