Worst2First: My Top Ten Films Where the Main Character Dies

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Films 

Where the Main Character Dies

There's no bigger surprise in film than to see a main character that you've grown to love - or despise - bite the dust.  It's not something typical, and when it happens, it leaves a memorable imprint in your brain.

Here are my personal top ten films where the main character dies, worst2first...

**THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!  OBVIOUSLY!**

#10

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Since it takes place between Episodes 1-3 and 4-6, one would expect the inevitable - especially since none of the characters are mentioned in future "Star Wars" films.  Still, it's quite a shock when every main character meets their untimely end by the credits, including Felicity Jones' Jyn Erso.

#9

 V for Vendetta

Set in a dystopian future, "V for Vendetta" centers round the mysterious V, who plans to take down the fascist regime.  During his fight, V is shot and dies, and his body is placed with the explosives that would incite a new world order. 

#8

 Scarface

A film centering on Cuban drug kingpin Tony Montana is listed as one of the best films in modern memory, with a knockout performance by Al Pacino.  It's no surprise that the drug lord meets his demise after snorting a load of cocaine and goes out guns blazing, ending up face-down in the pool.

#7

 Braveheart

Mel Gibson plays William Wallace, the Scottish warrior who led the Scots to freedom in the 13th Century, but not even the decorated warrior could escape unscathed.  He's placed on a rack, hung, drawn and quartered in front of an audience as he slowly dies - a typical Mel Gibson violent end.

#6

 Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock is one of cinema's most iconic directors, and "Psycho" put him on the map by offering up the "decoy protagonist."  The beginning of the film focuses on Janet Leigh's Marion Crane, and Hitchcock makes you think she is the main character - until she's killed halfway through in one of cinema's most memorable scenes involving a shower. 

#5

 Saving Private Ryan

Steven Spielberg's epic war saga centers on a group of soldiers who enter enemy lines to rescue a private, and from the beginning scene you know you're not going to see pretty things.  Tom Hanks leads the charge as Captain Miller, and when he's shot and killed by the Germans as he embarks on the rescue, it's both shocking and memorable.

#4

 The Departed

Martin Scorsese is no stranger to violence, and "The Departed" is as violent as they come.  Not only does crime boss Jack Nicholson bite the dust, so does both spies - Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio - in very shocking ways.  The biggest shock is when DiCaprio's character gets capped after leaving an elevator without so much of a note being played - it was unexpected and truly the most shocking moment of the film.

#3

The Godfather

Marlon Brando's iconic performance as godfather Don Vito Corleone is the stuff of cinematic legend, but his character is gunned down less than forty minutes into the nearly three-hour epic, and spends the majority of the film in a coma until he dies of a heart attack.  Still, despite his small screen time, he makes a lasting impression, earning himself an Academy Award for his performance.

#2

Avengers: Infinity War

This one might seem like a cop-out, since it's only the first part of a two-part epic where we'll obviously see several of these supposed dead characters come back to life, but it still doesn't take away from the fact that we lost A LOT of our favorite heroes by the end of this movie.  Loki, Heimdall, Gamora, Vision, Scarlet Witch, Winter Soldier, Falcon, Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, Groot, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Maria Hill and Nick Fury all bit the dust (some of them literally) by the end credits, and while most of them will somehow come back to life, I feel that some of the deaths (basically just Loki and Heimdall) will be permanent. 

#1

 Transformers: The Movie

"Until all are one!"  A perennial favorite of mine, "Transformers" defined my childhood and I still remember seeing the movie when I was a wee lad, and the gut-wrenching horror I experienced.  Designed to introduce a new line of "Transformers" toys, the company decided to kill off pretty much every single classic Transformer - both good and bad - including the ultimate leader, Optimus Prime.  I remember being scarred by seeing my biggest hero bite the dust, and even though he would eventually return in the animated series, it was still a blow to this young ideological mind.