Major character deaths that were disappointing

[nelsonmuntz]

For this thread, the major character had to go out in a way that was disappointing from the standpoint that the character should have been too smart to get killed the way they did, or in some way went out like a punk that was not consistent with the character.

So, for example, Baelish begging Sansa for his life was completely consistent with his character, so that doesn't count.

You could make the case that Ned Stark refusing Renly's help, then walking into the throne room with a handful of men and a piece of paper to try and overthrow a family that had already just tried to kill him was pretty stupid, but the show had laid the foundation that the Starks were total scalitoing idiots already, so that seemed credible.

You can use TV or the movies for this.

My examples:

Declan in Breaking Bad - He is a drug lord with a lot of security, yet somehow Todd's Nazi friends get the jump on Declan and his crew in the middle of the open desert? That scene from Breaking Bad always bugged me.

All the Jedi at the end of Revenge of the Sith - This was an ancient order pledged to protect the galaxy, and the Emperor engineered a massive, complex extermination that none of the Jedi saw coming?

 

[B1GEast]

Shane from TWD. That was a punch in the gut. He was so badass.

When Rick surrenders his gun, then stabs him was a total surprise.

 

[storrsroars]

I was always annoyed that Vincent never heard Butch entering the house or putzing around in the kitchen. It wasn't like Butch was really trying to be quiet once he figured the apartment was empty. The pop tarts into the toaster should've been audible even in the can. And Vincent leaving his gun on the counter... hit men don't do that. Just found it implausible.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Olenna Tyrell's death was the Westeros equivalent of her falling down an elevator shaft until she did her Joffrey victory dance.

 

[Horatio]

1. Cochise - Cooley High- that was traumatic and still is to this day. One of the worst. The only thing worse was my #2 and #3

2. James Evans Sr. - Good Times - the episodes that dealt with his death are classic. The deaths of Cochise and James Sr. still haunt the black community as well as my #3

3. Jim Kelly as "Williams" -Enter the Dragon- he had superior Kung . He should've survived but it was Bruce's movie. All the kids in the hood thought he really died.

4. Stringer Bell - Wire- he was smart but all his dirt came back and cornered him in a vacant building.

5. Mace Windu - Star Wars- his Jedi skills should've gotten him out of that mess. The writers did him wrong. His midichlorian count was too high for him to die that easy.SMH

Honorable mentions - Apollo Creed- his ego got him killed.
Ricky -Boys in the Hood. His mom should've sent him to live with relatives down south.

 

[B1GEast]

5. Mace Windu - Star Wars- his Jedi skills should've gotten him out of that mess. The writers did him wrong. His midichlorian count was too high for him to die that easy.SMH

Mace definitely should not have gone out like that, but he did have both emperor Palapatin and Darth Vader against him.

There's talk that they wanted to create a story line that Windu actually survives the fall, but I really hated and still hate watching that scene till this day. I'll add that killing off Darth Maul was also the DUMBEST thing the Star Wars franchise has ever done.

 

[Horatio]

Mace definitely should not have gone out like that, but he did have both emperor Palapatin and Darth Vader were against him.

There's talk that they wanted to create a story line that Windu actually survives the fall, but I really hated and still hate watching that scene till this day. I'll add that killing off Darth Maul was also the DUMBEST thing the Star Wars franchise has ever done.

I was gonna add Darth Maul. So true. He should've lived for at least two movies. Great character.

 

[huskyrob1]

For this thread, the major character had to go out in a way that was disappointing from the standpoint that the character should have been too smart to get killed the way they did, or in some way went out like a punk that was not consistent with the character.

So, for example, Baelish begging Sansa for his life was completely consistent with his character, so that doesn't count.

You could make the case that Ned Stark refusing Renly's help, then walking into the throne room with a handful of men and a piece of paper to try and overthrow a family that had already just tried to kill him was pretty stupid, but the show had laid the foundation that the Starks were total scalitoing idiots already, so that seemed credible.

You can use TV or the movies for this.

My examples:

Declan in Breaking Bad - He is a drug lord with a lot of security, yet somehow Todd's Nazi friends get the jump on Declan and his crew in the middle of the open desert? That scene from Breaking Bad always bugged me.

All the Jedi at the end of Revenge of the Sith - This was an ancient order pledged to protect the galaxy, and the Emperor engineered a massive, complex extermination that none of the Jedi saw coming?

David Keith taking his own life in "An Officer and a Gentleman". Poetic license aside (the dramatic effect of his suicide helps the film), maybe I'm wrong but I don't see him doing it in real life, yes he DOR's but I can see him just going back home to Oklahoma. Best portrayal by a black actor in any movie ever, Louis Gossett Jr., actually great acting all around IMO.

 

[G0UCONN]

Good topic.

Quint in Jaws. Great scene but tough death and kinda hard to see how couldn't kick way out of it...

Bill Murray in Zombieland

John Travolta in Pulp Fiction dies on s h itter.

Billy Costigan (Dicaprio) in The Departed. Happened so fast, unexpected.

 

[huskyrob1]

Good topic.

Quint in Jaws. Great scene but tough death and kinda hard to see how couldn't kick way out of it...

Bill Murray in Zombieland

John Travolta in Pulp Fiction dies on s h itter.

Billy Costigan (Dicaprio) in The Departed. Happened so fast, unexpected.

Both Quint and Hooper are killed by the shark in the book, only one that lives is Chief Brody who kills it when he's the only one left.

 

[G0UCONN]

Both Quint and Hopper are killed by the shark in the book, only one that lives is Chief Brody who kills it when he's the only one left.

Really? I thought Hooper lived in book too?

 

[huskyrob1]

Really? I thought Hooper lived in book too?

Nope he dies, the shark rips the cage to pieces as in the movie, but kills him. I think before Quint, but don't quote me on that. In the book, Hooper also has an affair with Chief Brodie's wife early on in the book, which leads to some friction when they're out hunting the shark. One story where I think the movie could have been a little better and more like Benchleys book. Only problem is then the movie would have been 4 hours long.

 

[G0UCONN]

Nope he dies, the shark rips the cage to pieces as in the movie, but kills him. I think before Quint, but don't quote me on that. In the book, Hopper also has an affair with Chief Brodie's wife.

Thanks. I remembered the affair but thought like movie he swam away and hid when the shark got the cage .

 

[nelsonmuntz]

1. Cochise - Cooley High- that was traumatic and still is to this day. One of the worst. The only thing worse was my #2 and #3

2. James Evans Sr. - Good Times - the episodes that dealt with his death are classic. The deaths of Cochise and James Sr. still haunt the black community as well as my #3

3. Jim Kelly as "Williams" -Enter the Dragon- he had superior Kung . He should've survived but it was Bruce's movie. All the kids in the hood thought he really died.

4. Stringer Bell - Wire- he was smart but all his dirt came back and cornered him in a vacant building.

5. Mace Windu - Star Wars- his Jedi skills should've gotten him out of that mess. The writers did him wrong. His midichlorian count was too high for him to die that easy.SMH

Honorable mentions - Apollo Creed- his ego got him killed.
Ricky -Boys in the Hood. His mom should've sent him to live with relatives down south.

I will disagree on Stringer Bell. He had crossed the wrong assassins. There are few characters in TV history that had it coming more than Bell.

Agree on Apollo. Roid freak shouldn't have been able to kill a heavyweight champ no matter how roided he was.

 

[G0UCONN]

Apollo Creed- his ego got him killed.

Good call.

 

[Dove]

Carl Grimes.

He sure did a lot of preparation once bitten. Then all philosophical, too.

Yarders did guess when the bite occurred but the kid barely winced and walked away like nuttin'?

 

[CL82]

Continuing the SW riff in this thread, how about

Spoiler

Luke in the latest SW flick. C'mon he died from the strain of force projecting himself?

 

[auggie22]

While Sonny was known to be a hot-head, he was also hand-picked by his father ( the Don, who always saw the big picture ) to be his successor. No way he should have been played by Carlo like that. And no way Tom ( who is also supposed to be a thinker ) should have allowed him to leave the compound.

 

[Horatio]

I'm still waiting for the return of Syria Forel
on Game of Thrones .Not sure if he died. It wasn't made clear.

 

[auggie22]

Training Day - it took the mother of all coincidences for Ethan Hawke's character to survive the hit. Lonzo was way too cunning to be done in by a rookie.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I'm still waiting for the return of Syria Forel
on Game of Thrones .Not sure if he died. It wasn't made clear.

Syrio Forel was the First Sword of Bravvos, which sounds like a senior security position at a major sovereign nation. So how was he so clueless about the instability in Kings Landing, and why did he ever put himself in a position to be caught unarmed?

His death was so ridiculous that the Hound brought it up 3 seasons later.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Jax Teller at end of SoA.

The series was pegged as modern day Hamlet and all the main characters were going down according to script. Nothing nuanced about Jax committing suicide at the end.

Truth be told the final two seasons were a drag watching all the characters dying off as predicted.

 

[Excalibur]

Nope he dies, the shark rips the cage to pieces as in the movie, but kills him. I think before Quint, but don't quote me on that. .

They had to change the movie because they were filming some footage with live sharks when a shark got caught up with an empty cage and thrashed around with it before breaking free. The footage was too good not to use, so they changed the script to let Hooper live.

 

[Excalibur]

I'll throw in Bill Henrickson in Big Love. I don't think it was necessary to kill the character, and to have it done by what amounted to a random character was just odd.

 

[J187Money]

I never liked how Omar died. Anti-climactic. But can't say that it didn't fit in the character of what The Wire was about.