5 tragic video game deaths that fans never got over

A character's death in a video game is possibly one of the most impactful moments in a playthrough. When protagonists make long and tiring journeys with certain NPC characters, they form a strange bond with the player, becoming an integral part of their overall experience. As such, these bits of code taking the form of a sentient being leave a huge impression on the audience.

But a good story needs to see some characters die, and one of the best writing tactics is to “kill your darlings.” So, inevitably, beloved characters must eventually end up dead, saying goodbye to the video game and the rest of the cast in a tearful way, or maybe not even getting the chance to do so.

While these are NPCs that the player might have formed a bond with, sometimes it is the protagonists themselves who die at the end, or at the start of the sequel. Here are five such tragic video game character deaths that fans have never gotten over.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions, and contains spoilers.

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5 video game deaths that haunt fans even today

1. Aerith - Final Fantasy 7

In the original Final Fantasy VII video game, Aerith Gainsborough is introduced as a side character who can be recruited to Cloud’s party. As a party member, Aerith is indispensable for her magical abilities, serving as the White Mage.

Aerith is also a dating option, with whom the player, as Cloud, can go on a date with to the Gold Saucer. The game recognises her as the default date due to her high compatibility with Cloud. This alone is enough to lend credence to the fact that Aerith is a permanent character in the game.

However, this assumption is put completely to rest by antagonist Sephiroth as he plunges his sword straight through her about halfway through the game. Such was the outrage over her death that players started creating myths on the internet about ways to save her. It remains to be seen what her fate will be in the remake.

2. Siegward of Catarina - Dark Souls 3

As players figure out their way through Dark Souls 3, they may come across Siegward of Catarina, a knight of Catarina travelling the lands of Londor to uphold a promise. More often than not, Siegward is the video game's comic relief, often requiring the player’s help.

If players are able to help him out at various points in the video game, at the right time, Siegward will eventually show up in an area known as the Profaned Capital. The player is sent here to kill one of the five Lords of Cinders: Yhorm the Giant. Siegward can be found nearby, locked in a cell.

Once released, he foreshadows the end of his journey. After the player crosses the threshold to the boss fight, a cutscene is triggered, which shows Seigward entering the boss fight as well. As it turns out, Yhorm is Siegward’s old friend. The latter promised to take the former down should the giant ever stray from his duty.

Following the fight, made spectacularly easy by Siegward's involvement, he rests for one last time and raises a toast to the player. If they revisit the area again, Siegward presumably dies, as represented by the loot left behind in the form of all his armor and weapons.

3. John Marston - Red Dead Redemption

In Red Dead Redemption, protagonist John Marston is forced into helping FBI agent Edgar Ross in locating and apprehending some of John’s old gang members. To make sure John cooperates, Ross kidnaps his wife and son, promising to return them once he upholds his end of the bargain.

John is ultimately able to capture or kill the three wanted fugitives and Ross does return his family back to him at his ranch. However, he double crosses John, later arriving at his ranch with a dozen or so agents, intending to take him in or kill him. John gets his son and wife to leave from the back.

As John steps out to make his last stand, the FBI agents fire, effectively killing him. Seeing such a decent, honorable and likeable protagonist being so unfairly taken down makes for a heartbreaking scene. The fact that players can play the epilogue and end game in Red Dead Redemption 2 as John only goes so far as to mend their gaping wound.

4. Mordin Solus - Mass Effect III

A salarian geneticist and special forces member, Mordin Solus is a recruitable NPC who first appears in the second Mass Effect game. Once recruited, this scientist reveals that he was one of the ones responsible for mutating the genophage, which effectively made all individuals of the Krogan race infertile.

While initially starting off his arc as a cold and calculative individual, Mordin learns to see the bigger picture and adopts some of Commander Shepard’s heroic qualities. When he appears in the third video game of the series, he is past following direct orders and prefers to do things his own way.

Towards the end of the set of missions, Shepard and Mordin are tasked with deploying the cure to the Genophage. In the last hour, it is clear that going up to fix the tower that disperses the cure will be the death of the individual, and Mordin volunteers to do the same.

In an act of selflessness, tinged with a little guilt, the NPC is able to fix his mistake from the past.

5. Joel - The Last of Us Part II

In the first video game of the Last of Us series, Joel has to make some tough decisions towards the end of the story. To prevent Ellie from dying at the cost of creating a cure for the zombie epidemic, Joel decides to take her away from the Fireflies. This has him shooting down many guards, a person who helped them previously, and a surgeon who was about to operate on Ellie.

Taking the unconscious young girl with him, Joel drives away, later on telling Ellie that the Fireflies were lying about a cure and his actions were for their own good. Fast forward to The Last of Us Part II, and Joel’s actions finally catch up to him, as the daughter of the surgeon he killed locates him and beats him to death.

After spending so many long hours playing as Joel in the first video game, fans were understandably horrified by the turn of events. The outrage over the killing of the only father figure in Ellie’s life was heard across social media around the time of the second game’s release. Joel’s death was an important event, which kicked off Ellie’s emotional journey.