The Gaming Deaths That Still Haunt Us

Earlier than we even start, let’s simply say… SPOILERS. 

On this article, we will probably be taking a look at video games from a short while in the past, however there are nonetheless large plot particulars forward which may utterly break your expertise if you happen to haven’t performed them but. 

That’s proper, we’re diving into six of probably the most tragic character deaths which have affected us deeply in our gaming universe. So, get some tissues prepared, and let’s relive some outdated trauma.

1. Aerith – Ultimate Fantasy VII (1997)

The Nineteen Nineties weren’t precisely recognized for being a deep properly of emotional storytelling in gaming. It was principally about Sonic working quick, Mario leaping on mushrooms, or gamers capturing monsters with a BFG. 

However one recreation modified all that: 1997’s Final Fantasy VII, with its deep narrative and lovable solid of characters.

On the finish of the primary disc, Aerith is alone within the Forgotten Metropolis attempting to summon Holy when Sephiroth seems and impales her together with his sword. She dies completely, despite the fact that her spirit returns later to assist save the planet. Cloud shares a memorable, heartbreaking scene within the water together with her physique, accompanied by an unforgettable musical rating.

What made this scene so profoundly upsetting was the sheer shock of it; a predominant character whom you had grown to like was all of the sudden ripped from the narrative. It simply didn’t occur a lot in video games as much as that time, which makes her dying much more pivotal. It was a commentary on loss and heroic sacrifice that stands out as one of the vital necessary moments in the complete Ultimate Fantasy sequence.

It’s also fascinating to notice how the latest Final Fantasy VII remake has tackled Aerith’s dying in a totally new method, leaving her final destiny a bit extra ambiguous.

2. Arthur Morgan – Purple Lifeless Redemption II

Red Dead Redemption II and its ending have been talked about till the cows come dwelling. There are video montages of well-known streamers crying on the conclusion, which is a real testomony to the highly effective emotional impact this recreation has had on gamers. 

The true tragedy of Arthur’s dying is that we might all see it coming from a couple of hours into the sport – particularly, the second we went to that farm and have been coughed on by somebody with TB.

From there, it grew to become a ready recreation as we travelled the nation, watching Arthur’s cough step by step worsen. There was hope at one level for a treatment, however it was a rip-off, and ultimately, the illness’s grip on Arthur grew to become inevitable. All of the whereas, Arthur’s makeshift household inside Dutch’s gang was slowly falling aside on the seams.

When the ultimate showdown occurs, ‘That’s The Means It Is’ by Daniel Lanois kicks in, and also you simply know the tears are going to fall. 

However, there are literally two deaths right here: the primary being the one you love horse, which you could have named and cared for over lots of of hours, after which Arthur himself on prime of that mountain.

It’s a stunning second, a tragic second, and a completely good second in gaming historical past that may undoubtedly stand the check of time.

3. Naia – Brothers: A Story of Two Sons

Earlier than his show-stopping, swear-filled stage appearances and the bulletins of It Takes Two and Split Fiction, Josef Fares made one other sensible recreation: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. It’s a recreation that flew underneath the radar when it first got here out, however quickly gathered a cult standing and ultimately acquired a full remake in 2024.

The strangest factor about it’s that it’s primarily a co-op recreation you play solely alone. You management the 2 brothers concurrently, with one mapped to the left thumbstick and the opposite to the correct. It’s a robust management scheme to grasp at first, however it quickly turns into second nature.

The journey the brothers embark upon is epic, filled with hazard and journey, and also you genuinely develop to like them and their quest. However proper on the finish of the journey, the older brother, Naia, is fatally stabbed by a monster spider. They handle to reach on the Tree of Life, however it is just too late. The sport ends with the youthful brother crying at Naia’s tombstone again within the village they initially set out from. 

It’s a quiet ending, however an emotional gut-punch that elevates the sport’s legacy to that of an all-time basic.

4. Dom – Gears of Struggle 3

By the point the Gears of War 3 rolled round, we knew the characters inside out. We had conquered worlds with them and defeated hundreds of Locusts. We had additionally began to uncover extra of their deeply private backstories.

Dom was the childhood good friend of the primary protagonist, Marcus, and he was the one who obtained Marcus out of jail within the authentic Gears of War. We additionally watched him endure the unimaginable trauma of getting to kill his personal spouse after she was captured and tortured by the enemy. He had already misplaced his youngsters within the struggle, making his backstory extremely tragic.

So, within the third instalment, when the squad is trapped with seemingly no method out, Dom grabs a gas truck and drives it straight into the military of Locusts. It immediately explodes, killing everybody within the blast radius, together with himself. It’s an unbelievable hero second, made much more devastating by Marcus screaming at him over the comms to cease. 

The haunting piano chorus of Mad World performs beneath the scene. It’s a shifting, breathtaking sequence and a hero’s dying that considerably ups the emotional stakes of this wonderful trilogy. It will be fantastic to see Dom as soon as extra within the upcoming prequel, Gears of War: E-Day.

5. Lee – The Strolling Lifeless

When Telltale’s The Walking Dead got here out, The Strolling Lifeless TV present was on the absolute peak of its reputation. Zombies have been of their prime, very like vampires earlier than them. Nevertheless, Telltale Video games launched model new characters to the universe and produced a ‘select your individual journey’ story that spawned quite a few sequels and virtually outlined a style.

The story options Lee, a person accused of murdering a senator who was sleeping together with his spouse. It begins behind a police automobile, proper because the zombie apocalypse kicks off. After escaping, he comes throughout an orphaned woman named Clementine, whom he takes underneath his wing. Becoming a member of a bigger group and surviving many perilous scrapes with each the lifeless and the residing, they ultimately head in direction of the coast to discover a boat and escape.

Proper on the climax of the sport, Lee is bitten by a walker. At the same time as he’s actively dying, he continues to assist and shield younger Clementine proper as much as the bitter finish. It’s a extremely poignant and deeply unhappy conclusion to the primary recreation. Lee is a extremely likeable, sort, and insightful character whom you could have invested critical time into, making some extremely onerous choices alongside him. His love and take care of his foster daughter create a particular bond that makes the ending all of the extra tragic.

6. Joel – The Final of Us Half II

That is arguably probably the most controversial dying out of the six. It’s one which massively break up the viewers, with some folks bizarrely blaming his demise on woke tradition – an argument that merely doesn’t maintain as much as scrutiny or stand the check of time. 

In actuality, it’s a sensible piece of writing that solely shapes the aim and core theme of the sport: the devastating futility of revenge.

There are two intelligent narrative units in The Last of Us Part II that make this dying one of the vital memorable in gaming historical past. Now we have the shock issue, as the sport delivers Joel’s demise extremely early on, proper after tricking you into considering you can be taking part in as him for the lengthy haul alongside Ellie.

After which there’s the attitude shift. After ten hours of gameplay, the story all of the sudden places you within the sneakers of Abby – the very one that murdered Joel with a golf membership in that ski lodge.

This coincidence, forcing you to expertise either side of a deeply traumatic story, was a stroke of genius. Your allegiances shift, and your perspective on who you need to survive is turned solely on its head. 

It’s nonetheless onerous, since you miss being Joel and spending time with him, particularly after the bond shaped within the first recreation. However that’s precisely why grief is so onerous; typically, anger merely has to return earlier than acceptance. 

So, these are the six online game deaths that also hang-out us from the library of video games we’ve performed. There are numerous others on the market, and we’d love to listen to from you about which of them hit you the toughest. 

However for now, let’s keep in mind these we’ve misplaced.