This list is all about the most spectacular ways that some of favorite characters – the ones we love and the ones we love to hate – have been killed off on screen. Movies and TV have both produced some pretty incredible moments like this. So whether it’s the hero or the villain, here are some of the most insane deaths ever seen in movies and on TV.
Marion Crane – Psycho
Almost more than any director in film history, Alfred Hitchcock wrote his own rules. One of the most interesting things he ever did was to kill off who was seemingly the main character in Psycho, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) in the first act of the movie. Of course, her murder in the shower has become one of the most iconic scenes in film history.
Radio Raheem – Do The Right Thing
The tension in Do The Right Thing slowly simmers just under the surface until it boils over when Buggin’ Out (Giancarlo Esposito) and Radio Raheem (Bill Nunn) burst into Sal’s Pizzeria and demand changes. After Sal smashes Raheem’s boombox, the cops arrive and in the struggle, Raheem is choked out by the police, leading to the destruction of Sal’s. It’s amazing that the movie is more than 35 years old and we’re still talking about the same issues.
Robb Stark – Game Of Thrones
Is there any death on this list more dramatic and shocking than Robb Stark’s on Game of Thrones? The Red Wedding is a legendary TV moment, among the best ever broadcasted. It shocked anyone who had not read the books and remains one of the most spectacular deaths, along with his wife, his unborn baby, and his mother, ever filmed.
John Coffey – The Green Mile
It’s one of the most heartbreaking moments in film history when John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan) meets his inevitable end in The Green Mile. Still, he goes out spectacularly with sparks flying and tears flowing.
Charlie Pace – Lost
ABC’s Lost had some pretty memorable deaths, but none more so than Charlie Pace’s last moments as he warned about the incoming boat and sacrificed himself in one of the most heartbreaking moments in TV history.
Hans Gruber – Die Hard
It’s hard to believe that Hans Gruber in Die Hard was Alan Rickman‘s first movie role. His death, as he falls from Nakatomi Tower, looking up at the camera as he goes, is iconic. It’s become one of the most meme’d scenes in movie history and is easily one of the most spectacular deaths in film history.
Gus Fring – Breaking Bad
For years, Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) was one of the most despised characters on TV. His death was worthy of such an amazing villain as he is not only blown up but survives long enough to walk out of the room where it happened and button his jacket before collapsing to the floor.
Thelma And Louise – Thelma And Louise
When Thelma And Louise was first released, the ending completely shocked people. No one expected the movie’s heroes to go out like they did, by driving their car off the cliff. Still, it was on their own terms and they did it together, making it all that much more spectacular.
Adriana La Cerva – The Sopranos
There were quite a few deaths over the seasons in The Sopranos, but the episode when Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo) is rubbed out is maybe the most incredible. The tension in the episode is impressive even by The Sopranos standards as no one wanted to see Adriana go, even though everyone knew why it was happening.
The Wicked Witch of the West – The Wizard Of Oz
“I’m melting” is one of the most iconic lines in Hollywood history as the Wicked Witch of the West is dying in The Wizard of Oz. There really isn’t much more that needs to be said about this spectacular death.
Maximus Decimus Meridius – Gladiator
For years, Maximus (Russell Crowe) in Gladiator obsessed over avenging his family’s death and taking down Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Despite Commodus playing dirty in their final showdown, Maximus finally prevails, killing Commodus before he collapses and dies.
Tony Stark – Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame is the 22nd movie in MCU history and so it was only appropriate that Tony Stark – the character that started it all – would be the one to finally take Thanos out by snapping his fingers with the Infinity Gauntlet on. It led to his spectacular death, of course, but it was worth it.
Col. Kurtz – Apocalypse Now
After building for two hours, the climactic death of Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) at the end of Apocalypse Now is one of the most dramatic and violent moments in film history. The scene, juxtaposed with the sacrifice of a cow, is terrifying and amazing.
Glenn – The Walking Dead
The death of Glenn (and Abraham) was one of the most controversial moments of The Walking Dead. That was partly due to the extreme violence that turned a lot of people off, but it was mostly because Glenn was such a beloved character. Still, it was a death that was totally unforgettable.
Kong – Dr. Strangelove
Peter Sellers may be the most celebrated member of the Dr. Strangelove cast (and for good reason), but Kong, played by Slim Pickens steals the show at the end with his death by riding a nuke down as it drops towards it’s target.
Kenny McCormick – South Park
We couldn’t make this list without including poor Kenny McCormick, the hapless member of the South Park crew. Kenny has been killed over 100 times over the show’s incredible run and in some of the most ridiculous and fantastic ways, like getting crushed by a tree, getting hit by a volcanic boulder, and dozens of other ways.
Rosalind Shays – LA Law
Rosiland Shays’ death by falling down an elevator on LA Law was one of the most shocking moments in television history. It came completely out of nowhere in a time in television when a death like that wasn’t common at all. It actually changed TV storytelling.
Mark Greene – ER
Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) was one of the most beloved characters on ER and his death, while a different kind of spectacular than most of the others on this list. It wasn’t a shocking moment, as it was a tragic slow death by cancer. It was still among the most heartbreaking moments ever.
Zoe Barnes – House Of Cards
For the first season of House Of Cards, Zoe Barnes (Kate Mara) was one of the most important characters. The journalist was both investigating and getting a little too involved with Francis Underwood (Kevin Spacey). Her surprising death shocked audiences as Frank threw her in front of a subway train. It came completely out of nowhere, and yet made total sense in the context of the show.
Roy Batty – Blade Runner
The death of Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) at the end of Blade Runner has become one of the most legendary deaths of all time. It is not at all what anyone in the audience expected when the main villain of the movie turns into a hero at the very end, saving Deckard (Harrison Ford) before smiling as he dies. Time to die.
Alec Trevelyan – GoldenEye
You knew there was no way this list was going to be complete without including at least one death by a Sean Bean character, right? There have been so many spectacular deaths over the actor’s incredible career, but for our money, you can’t beat the death of his character Alec Trevelyan in the James Bond movie GoldenEye when Bond drops him to his death and he is crushed to make sure it’s final.
Lane Pryce – Mad Men
Mad Men was unlike any other show on TV at the time and Lane Pryce’s death by suicide is the perfect example of why. The character, played by Jared Harris was a fan favorite and while story-wise his death made perfect sense, it was still shocking.
William Wallace – Braveheart
Braveheart might be one of the most historically inaccurate films ever made, but William Wallace’s death at the end is still pretty spectacular ( and not all that different from what really happened to the Scottish hero). We can’t go into all the violent details here, but if you know, you know.
Nick Chevotarevich – The Deer Hunter
One of the most tragic characters in ’70s cinema has to be Nick Chevotarevich, played by Christopher Walken. Even after the Vietnam War draws to a close and his best friend makes it back home after escaping a POW camp, Nick gets stuck in Saigon, playing dangerous games of Russian Roulette for months. When Mike (Robert De Niro) finds him, Nick is completely checked out, and that makes his horrible death all the more sad.
Quint – Jaws
Quint (Robert Shaw) is the grizzled fisherman who promises to catch “the fish” in Jaws, but in the end, it’s the fish that catches him. As has often been pointed out, one of the most effective things about the classic movie is that the shark is rarely seen, so when Quint is eaten it’s one of the scariest and most exciting moments of the movie.
Cyrus ‘The Virus’ Grissom – Con Air
Cyrus “The Virus” Grissom (John Malkovich) in Con Air is one of the most over-the-top movie villains of the ’90s, so of course he had to get killed in an over-the-top spectacular way. First, he is knocked out and handcuffed to a firetruck that crashes into a bridge, tossing Cyrus into some powerlines, and electrocuting him, but that’s not all. He then falls into the path of a pile driver doing road work, which comes down on his head.
Private Pyle (Vincent D’Onofrio) is, at the beginning of Full Metal Jacket a hopeless Marine recruit who can’t do anything right. As the first act of the movie plays out, he gets more competent but also starts to lose his marbles. It all culminates in an incredibly tense scene when he shoots and kills his drill sergeant before turning the gun on himself.
Marissa Cooper – The O.C.
Say what you want about about The O.C., but the creative decision to kill off one of the main characters and star of the show, Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton) in Season 3 was a bold one. The way she died, in the arms of Ryan (Ben McKenzie) after a car wreck is just as dramatic as the decision to have the character die.
Jack Torrance – The Shining
That final image of a frozen Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) in The Shining is one of the most enduring snapshots of a movie filled with incredible visual moments. A spectacular villain like Jack deserves a death as memorable as it is.
Sgt. Elias – Platoon
Platoon, as is said in the movie, is a battle for the soul of Chris (Charlie Sheen) between Elias (Willem Dafoe) and Barnes (Tom Berenger). Barnes wins the battle between himself and Elias when he shoots Elias towards the end, but Elias wins Chris’ soul with his spectacular death as the helicopters lift away and Elias is left with arms outstretched as the Vietnamese soldiers gun him down for good.
Gennaro – Jurassic Park
We just had to include this one. Donald Gennaro isn’t the main character of Jurassic Park, in fact, he’s not even one of the main supporting characters. But him getting eaten by the T-Rex while hiding on the toilet is one of the silliest, and most insane deaths, of any movie, ever.
John Doe – Se7en
The ending of Se7en is one of the most talked about and debated, moments in film history. John Doe (Kevin Spacey) completely manipulates David Mills (Brad Pitt) into doing exactly what wants, completely the complete over-the-top murder spree ever seen on the big screen.