Spoilers for the following:
Assassin’s Blade by Sara J. Maas, Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki, Star Wars Revenge of the Sith by George Lucas for the movie and Matthew Stover for the Novelization, Avatar the Last Airbender TV Show, Star Wars Rebels TV show, Immortal by Joanna White AKA me
These all destroyed me and made me cry, but I’m still counting down to from the least to the ones that ripped me apart the most.
8. Keiichiro from Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki
The story is about a woman who travels back in time to the final battle of the samurai just before they fell. She meets and falls in love with a samurai named Keiichiro. Anyone who knows history of this time period knows that most of the samurai if not all of them, who fought in the battle died. That combined with the fact that this is a historical Japanese story/romance means there’s clearly going to be tragedy happening here. I loved his character, and he was a true honorable samurai—fictional but so well written by Poppy Kuroki, so even though it destroyed me, and I mourned him, it was also bittersweet because Keiichiro died for what he believed in. The ending also helped add to it so that it didn’t feel as tragic—or wasn’t meant to—but for me, it didn’t quite help with the pain of Keiichiro’s loss!
7. Liam from Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
When Liam’s dragon started dying, it ripped my heart out. I was crying so hard while reading this scene, so not only was Liam’s death tragic, but his grief at losing his dragon first made it so much worse. And because his dragon was dying, so was he. He died in Violet’s arms, and I just … ugh, I’ll never be over Liam. It was brutal. Liam’s desperation to save his dragon, and then Violet’s desperation to save him, and just … 😭
I was re-reading the scene to prepare for writing this section of the article, and I’m crying again. I mean, Violet was trying to carry Liam to his dragon, but she couldn’t, and then she asks her dragon what to do and her dragon responds: “There’s nothing you can do, Silver One.”
“It’s been my honor.”
That line destroyed us all. I’m still crying.
Liam!
6. Jet from Avatar the Last Airbender
Specifically from Book 2 Earth’s episode titled Lake Laogai
This is a TV show, not a book, but I have to mention it because it shook me, utterly shook me when I was a kid. I grew up with this show, and I loved Jet’s character so much, and was hoping he’d join the gang after this episode. It’s also a show made for kids, so I don’t think any of us was expecting him to die. But it really showed the devastation and consequences of the corruption in Ba Sing Se and the earth kingdom. As a kid, though, this death haunted me for years.
5. Kanan Jarrus from Star Wars Rebels
This is technically another TV Show (though I did read the comics and read and enjoy him in A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller). Kanan was my favorite character in Star Wars Rebels, and I’ve always felt like his character arc not only is super powerful and impactful, but that he ends up in a place almost similar to Qui-Gon Jinn. It’s so rare when we have those “true” Jedi type characters like them, so I think that’s part of why he meant so much. That and the concept that he was a Padawan who never finished his training who had to go in hiding after Order 66 and now has to train one even though he never completed his. But he and Ezra grow together through the show, and him and Hera’s relationship is so special. His relationship with each one of the characters is, but I loved, especially now after watching the hole show and being older, I love how Kanan and Hera were like the parents to this little family.
When he gave his life to rescue Hera and save her and Ezra and force pushed her backward, I was so shocked. I think I went into denial for several episodes, since once again this was originally intended for kids, so I was thinking: they’ll save him. They’ll save him. It’ll be like Fynn at the end of Tangled. They’ll save him.
They didn’t save him.
4. Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker (from a certain point-of-view) from Star Wars Revenge of The Sith (movie by George Lucas and Novelization by Matthew Stover)
Since we’re already talking about Star Wars and things from my childhood, I couldn’t make this list without talking about Padme Amidala and also Anakin – from a certain point of view because Vader technically killed Anakin in this movie. For anyone growing up with the originals, they expected Padme to die, but I grew up with the prequels, so it was emotional. I was so obsessed with how tragically this story ended, I couldn’t believe it, couldn’t accept it. I kept thinking for years growing up how differently it all could have turned out and what would have happened had she lived or had Anakin not turned to the Dark Side. Also, at the time, I didn’t know the originals existed, so I thought this was the way the whole story ended for the longest time!
3. The Red Wedding in Game of Thrones TV Show and A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
I wanted to mention the book because I know it’s the source, but I haven’t read the books yet and only watched this on the TV show. An honorable mention is probably Ned Stark’s death in Season 1 – none of us saw that coming, I don’t think. I remember thinking he would get saved. But even then, it was like, okay, he’s the father, so the parent dies and the kids have to fight and Rob has to take up the mantle with the help of his mother. That, at least, makes sense.
But the Red Wedding?
I’m sure it’s gone down as one of the biggest twists in TV and book history. They were there for a wedding, and the host betrays them, and everything goes horribly wrong. I mean, it was difficult to watch—painful to watch. Rob Stark’s wife was pregnant and they were going to have a baby. She dies in his arms, but still as you’re watching, you’re thinking, he’ll get out of this, and it will be a tragic situation for him to overcome. His mother’s desperation to save him, just begging the host to let him go, and he doesn’t and they both die, it’s just …
It’s still too soon.
2. Sam from Assassin’s Blade by Sara J. Maas
“My name is Sam Cortland, and I am not afraid.” I can still listen to the audio someone did of this or read the book and sob and just sob. I think Sam’s name, and my chest tightens. This is definitely the most dramatic character deaths in a book I’ve ever read, and the only reason it isn’t number one is because of the real history behind the one on this list and how obsessed I grew over that one.
Just the way that she wrote it—how Celaena was pacing, wondering why Sam hadn’t gotten back, how she saw his body, cried over him, the grief, and knowing how he died, thinking about how he was tortured so brutally and died in such a horrific way—
I genuinely don’t think I have mourned more for a character than I have for Sam. I’ll never get over Sam—none of us ever will.
1. The Shinsengumi
This is from many different things, but I first saw this in the anime Hakuoki which has had TV shows and movie spin-offs and a live action TV show of the first season, and then I researched the real history for years and obsessed over it, and then I wrote it into my fictional book Immortal, and I’m speaking about each one of these.
The only reason why this is first before Sam even though I’ve mourned him a lot more is because this is real, and I obsessed over the Shinsengumi for years. They’re what started my interest in samurai and feudal Japan in the first place which led me to write my book Samurai, and now Immortal (and other projects not published yet).
How they fought for what they believed in and for each other, the brotherhood of the Shinsengumi and all that they tried to do, and how they were betrayed, and just kept losing, and that this war resulted in the end of the way of the samurai, added to how they really died, and how it’s portrayed in the anime, and how I wrote it in Immortal based on the real history, it’s just … it’s absolutely devastating. Hijikata’s death, how he survived to the bitter end, Kondo and how he stayed behind to give them time to get away, Souji and how he was sick and wanted to die in battle and never got his wish. Harada, especially in the anime how it’s portrayed and that his rival/enemy was there for him in the end, and in real life, how they knew they couldn’t win and they fought and died anyway. It’s just … I’ll never get over it.
Honorable Mentions
I had to include this master list of honorable mentions, so spoilers for: The Vampire Diaries, The Hunger Games, Sunrise on the Reaping, Titanic, Assasin’s Creed 3, the video game, See TV, the Patriot
Stephan Salvatore from the Vampire Diaries TV show (the TV show specifically; this broke me. I haven’t read the books by L.J. Smith yet).
Jon Snow from Game of Thrones (even though he lived; we thought he was dead for a while during the time we waited for a new season, and it broke me).
Rue’s death from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (she’s a child; Katniss mourning her, making the flowery grave, it’s just so heart-wrenching)
Ambert’s death from Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (It’s so brutal, and Haymitch’s response just tears us apart. Also, pretty much every other character but Haymitch in this just shattered my heart)
Jack’s death from Titanic (I mean, this probably should have gone on the big list; these all should have. But growing up, this shattered me and was another one where I was in denial and hoping for a happy ending. It sort of ended bittersweet, but it still broke me as a kid/teen)
Kili from the Hobbit (by J. R.R. Tolkien. Also Thorin’s death too. I haven’t read the books yet, so please don’t judge me, but I did enjoy the movies, and both of these deaths broke me. I really did enjoy the romance with Kili and Tauriel even though I know she isn’t in the books, and his death was so tragic. Thorin’s was as well, and I didn’t expect either of them to die)
Haythem Kenway from Assassin’s Creed 3 (Video Game). He was a bad guy, but I really wanted him to be redeemed and wanted Conner to have his father, and it was tragic that Conner killed his own father.
Gabriel from the Patriot. I grew up with this movie, and Gabriel’s death was probably the first character death that I ever watched and experienced, so it’s always going to stick with me. Watching it, you just want him to live to see the end of the movie and the freedom America gets to experience. And as an adult, watching it, you can see that he was just a young man and that so much could have been done to save him.
Last but not least (WITHOUT SPOILERS) my book Survivor. There are handful of character deaths in this book that rips my heart out to write and now to read again, and will probably do yours too, and I’m not over it. I’m the author, and I’m still considering alternate endings for some of these characters. It’s brutal.
But if you love books that rip your heart out, destroy your soul, where no one is safe, then you’ll love Survivor.
Grab your tissues 💦because you’ll need them and maybe some popcorn, 🍿 pets to cuddle with 🐈🐕and your drink of choice☕ and check it out.
