Video game character deaths incite a lot of emotion in fans; some are very hard to get over. At the same time, some characters didn’t have the goodwill, because fans were rooting for them to meet their ends.
On this list below, we are going to look at the former type of deaths, completely ruining the experience for you with spoilers, so be warned for what you are walking into.
Hardest-Hitting Character Deaths in Video Games
Joel Miller (The Last of Us)
If we had to pick one of the most well-remembered father figures from recent video game history, then it is going to be Joel from The Last of Us series. Having lost his own daughter on the night the infection hit, he turned bitter until he found Ellie, and regained his sense to protect someone.
We, as the players, got to experience the first game through Joel’s lens and made a lot of memories. But part II of The Last of Us hit us hard with its brutal and untimely murder, all the while a pinned-down Ellie watched it with her own eyes.
Joel’s final moments created one of the biggest points of discussion on the internet after the release of the game. People still debate over how things could have gone differently with the game’s ending.
Vesemir (The Witcher)
Let’s keep the father figure train rolling with another important character in video game history, and this time it’s Vesemir from The Witcher franchise. Possibly the oldest living witcher we ever got to see as a character in the games.
Vesemir was a mentor as well as a father figure to our lead character from the games, Geralt. He was the last witcher still alive after the assault on Kaer Mohen, but unfortunately, it wasn’t for long.
Vesemir met his demise in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt while trying to protect Ciri. His death still hits the hardest among all of The Witcher games.
Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2)
Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2 does not need any new introduction. From the developers of the super-popular Grand Theft Auto franchise, we got another incredible video game set during the wild west era.
But all of that is besides the point; if you are reading this, then you already know how impactful characters in this franchise and their stories are. So, of course, we had to put Arthur Morgan on this list; his death was mourned by almost everyone.
Even the most popular streamers, such as iShowSpeed, were weeping out of respect, seeing Arthur’s story through and his unfair demise. Even though an outlawed gunman, Arthur Morgan, is portrayed as a kind soul who mourned the loss of life, which made his death was made worse.
John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)
The Red Dead train won’t be stopping just yet, because we also have to discuss the passing of John Marston, which was equally heartbreaking. He was the protagonist of the first Red Dead Redemption game, which is a sequel to the second game.
We do get to play as John Marston after ending Arthur’s story in Red Dead 2, but the first game is especially about John and his family. For whom he sacrifices his life, meeting a tragic end, as he is murdered by Edgar Ross and his pawns.
2B (Nier Automata)
We have been constantly going on about tragic deaths in video game history, and it’s all male characters, so let’s switch it up a bit and talk about 2B from Nier Automata. This franchise by Yoko Taro is one of the most philosophically heavy games released, which hit insane popularity with the release of ‘Automata‘.
We get attached to the suffering of the characters, especially the loss of the 2B, which leads to more chaos as others around her lose their sense of comprehension. 2B was an important YoRHa android unit. who are designated to carry out missions in favor of protecting humanity.
In one of the many important routes of the game, 2B is infected by a virus which fully corrupts her, leading A2 is end her life. The YoRHa units usually have backup data for when they die so that they can be brought back in newer bodies, except this time.
Lee Everett (The Walking Dead)
Point-and-click narrative-based adventure games were pretty much dead until Telltale Games brought them back. One of their popular titles has to be The Walking Dead games, which is based on the original IP of the same name, but with original characters and setting.
We kick things off in the game with Lee Everett, who quickly becomes the face of the series and a parental figure to the little girl, Clementine. We see them go through hardships, rooting for them to get out of every mess in this zombie apocalypse world.
But this is The Walking Dead we are talking about; nothing stays the same forever. Lee Everett gets bitten by a walker during one of the sections of the game and chooses to die by Clementine’s hands with a gunshot.
At the end of the first season, Telltale’s The Walking Dead broke everyone’s heart. Making it one of the deaths that was still hard to get over throughout the game.
Big Boss (Metal Gear Solid)
When we think of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, only three names pop up in our minds, regardless of how well exposed to the franchise you are. These are Solid Snake, Hideo Kojima (of course), and Big Boss.
We are going to be talking about the third pillar figure, and that is Big Boss. The series started with him as a boss, and so far, even the last game was all about him. The story of Metal Gear Solid is very convoluted in nature, and talking about it will be a whole other discussion.
So for now, we are going to focus on the tragic moment in the franchise, which is the death of Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid 4, having faced off his own genetic son, he dies in his arms, tying loose ends to the plot and his questions.
Big Boss was an important figure who had more to lose than Solid Snake, as we have seen throughout games like MGS 3. So seeing him finally get laid to rest was heavy, but the silver lining was that at least he got to pass away on his own terms.
Jackie (Cyberpunk 2077)
CD Projekt Red had a rocky start with Cyberpunk 2077, delaying the game for years and then being riddled with bugs and glitches on release. But regardless, the game came back strong and finally gave people the action-RPG cyberpunk experience they were looking for.
Cyberpunk 2077 has a lot of really interesting characters, some of whom we get very attached to, who unfortunately meet their untimely demise. One of these is Jackie Welles, a merc who was in cahoots with V.
Jackie was a fan favorite character, and his death hit hard. He was in the middle of a bad firefight, which ultimately bled him out.
Roach and Ghost (Call of Duty)
Yeah, you might be wondering: what is a first-person shooter, which is mostly known for being a multiplayer experience, doing on this list? Well, Call of Duty has a very deep campaign mode with a lot of recurring characters, who all have an ardent fan following.
Some of these characters are Roach and Ghost, both of whom were met with a shocking demise, and it shook the fanbase. Roach and Ghost were shot down in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 by another important character, General Shepherd.
Their deaths were so sudden and hard-hitting, they make Call of Duty fans visibly frustrated even to date.
Gustave (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
Aside from being the hottest new game, made by an indie studio, with most people having no knowledge of game development. Clair Obscur is a game marked by death from the very moment with boot up the game.
So we were aware of the kind of bittersweet game we were stepping into. But it still got us when we found the main character, Gustave, meeting his end. He succumbs to death while trying to defend Renoir and Maelle.
In a game like Clair Obscur, sacrifices hit hard, and Gustave’s hit the fanbase very hard, and it’s still not easy to get over.
