10 Saddest Video Game Deaths

The 10 Saddest Video Game Deaths, Ranked Image via BioWare Published Aug 4, 2026, 5:10 AM EDT Writing from the Chicagoland area in Illinois, Robert is an avid movie watcher and will take just about any excuse to find time to go to his local movie theaters. Robert graduated from Bradley University with degrees in Journalism and Game Design with a minor in Film Studies. Robert tries his best to keep up with all the latest movie releases, from those released in theaters to those released on streaming. While he doesn't always keep up with the latest TV shows, he makes it a goal to watch nearly every major new release possible. He has been honing his craft and following any and all movie news all his life, leading up to now, where he has a vast knowledge of film and film history. He also logs every movie that he watches on his Letterboxd page, and has hosted a weekly online movie night with his closest friends for over 6 years. Sign in to your Collider account Video game storytelling has grown a lot since the simplistic days of text-based adventures and instruction manual lore. Now, many modern games feature exceptionally dynamic stories complete with rich characters and deeply emotional moments. Much like other forms of narrative storytelling, one of the most tried and true ways to create such an emotional reaction from the audience is through the painful death of a prominent character. Ever since video games have told intricate stories, they have been finding new ways to break the hearts of gamers around the world. These tragic deaths are some of the most emotional and shocking moments in video game history, still conjuring tears for many fans who will forever have a place in their hearts for these iconic characters. 10 Dominic "Dom" Santiago - 'Gears of War 3' (2011) Image via Microsoft Studios Gears of War is a franchise that isn't particularly well-known for its exceptional storytelling, as it instead fulfilled its role as an exploration of explosive, gritty sci-fi action. However, this lack of previous emotional depth makes Dominic Santiago's sacrifice that much more unexpected and emotionally impactful. The character has been a beloved friend and icon of the franchise since the first game, so seeing him make the ultimate sacrifice to save his friends hits especially hard for gamers who fell in love with him. The game really does hammer home the gravitas and impact of this moment, even playing the iconic face of sad songs, "Mad World", which acts as a direct callback to the iconic commercial for the original game. This singular moment still stands as the narrative highlight of the entire Gears franchise, and helped cement Gears of War 3 as one of the best games in the franchise to fans of the series. 9 Aunt May - 'Marvel's Spider-Man' (2018) Image via Sony Interactive Entertainment Aunt May has died numerous times in various iterations throughout Spider-Man's history, between the comics and the movies, most prominently in Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, arguably the most emotional death that the character has ever had comes from Insomniac's beloved video game on PS4, acting as a direct symbol for the heroic qualities and selflessness of Peter Parker. Aunt May contracts a deadly virus that has been released in New York City by Doctor Octopus. Peter has a single dose of the cure, but using it on her would be dooming millions of others to death. This painful sacrifice already makes the scene sad enough, but pushing it over the top is that Aunt May uses her final words to tell Peter that she's always known he is Spider-Man and that she's so proud of him. This scene acts as one of many reasons that Marvel's Spider-Man is easily one of the best Spider-Man video games. Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory? 🕷️Spider-Man 😈Daredevil 🤖Iron Man 💀Punisher ⚡Thor 🛡️Cap FIND YOUR HERO → 01 What drives you to do what's right? Choose the answer that feels most like you. AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can't protect themselves. BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the dark. CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I've learned that others depend on me now. DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay. EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms. FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully. NEXT QUESTION → 02 It's 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you'd think. ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood. BRunning rooftops in Hell's Kitchen, listening for trouble. CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a cold cup of coffee nearby. DStaking out a target I've been tracking for three weeks. ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand. FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn't sleep. NEXT QUESTION → 03 How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What's yours? AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again. BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside. CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins. DMake sure they don't escape a third time. Permanently. EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end. FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it's hard. NEXT QUESTION → 04 How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything. AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am. BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face. COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I'd do it again. DI'm a ghost. The less people know about me, the better. EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There's no hiding it. FI don't hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust. NEXT QUESTION → 05 You've lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it. AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day. BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting. CI buried myself in work for years. I'm only recently learning to face it. DIt transformed me completely. I'm not the same person I was before. EWith warrior's grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have. FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win. NEXT QUESTION → 06 What's your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are. AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up. BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most. CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation. DI don't do teams. I'm more effective operating solo, on my terms. EThe heavy hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle. FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind. NEXT QUESTION → 07 Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are. AClearly — I don't kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly. BI try to hold the line, but I've come terrifyingly close to crossing it. CPractically — I do what's necessary to protect people, including hard calls. DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won't admit it. EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic. FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against. NEXT QUESTION → 08 When you're not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story. ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends. BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets. CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I'm sleeping enough. DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions. ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary. FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly. NEXT QUESTION → 09 What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of. AThe people I couldn't save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow. BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too. CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough. DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I've made my choices. EWhether I'm truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect. FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing. NEXT QUESTION → 10 The battle is lost. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully. ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything. BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going. CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan. DI don't accept that it's lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore. ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me. FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it's not over. REVEAL MY HERO → Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed. 🕷️ Spider-ManYou carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing. You do the right thing not because it's easy, but because no one else will. You understand that responsibility isn't a burden you choose — it's one that finds you. Whether it's a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up. Peter Parker's lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn't a slogan to you. It's the code you live by, even when it costs you everything. 😈 DaredevilYou fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free. You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks. You've looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy. Matt Murdock's duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own. Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you. 🤖 Iron ManBrilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem. You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic. You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility. Tony Stark's arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too. You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you're willing to give everything. Because in the end, you're Iron Man. 💀 The PunisherYou've been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What's left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief. You don't ask for forgiveness, and you don't expect gratitude. You see a corrupt, broken world and you've decided to do something about it, consequences be damned. Frank Castle's war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours. Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute. ⚡ ThorPowerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry. You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth. You're larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on. Thor's story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector. You bring the storm when it's needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much. 🛡️ Captain AmericaYou believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will. You don't bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard. Steve Rogers didn't become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you. Your strength isn't in your fists; it's in your refusal to compromise what's right, no matter the cost. In a world full of people taking the easy road, you're the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 8 Kaede Akamatsu - 'Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony' (2017) Image via Spike Chunsoft Danganronpa is a franchise that is largely defined by death in all types, whether they're shocking, emotional, or even comedic. By the third entry, fans had largely grown accustomed to the trends and cycle of how death in the series works, which makes the complete subversion in the death of Kaede Akamatsu that much more impactful. Up until her reveal as the culprit in this kill game, players were actively playing as Kaede, with the game presenting her as the main protagonist. However, in a shocking twist of keeping information from the player, Kaede sets in motion a plan to attempt to kill the mastermind, only to fail and find herself the latest killer in the killing game and subject to death for her crime. Her actual death is a mix of shocking and absurd, yet the real emotional moment comes afterward, when new protagonist Shuichi Saihara reminisces on her words of encouragement while "Clair de Lune" plays. Image via Konami For a large chunk of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, The Boss is presented as a double agent who betrays Snake and will be the inevitable final battle of the game. However, when this final battle does arrive, the tone is much more somber; there is still a clear emotional connection between Snake and the woman who mentored him into the soldier that he is today. When she is defeated in battle, it's a clear moment of sadness and hesitancy, lingering in the inevitability of The Boss's death. To truly hammer home the difficulty of this action, the game actively gives control to the player during the final gunshot that ends The Boss's life, with all the pain placed directly in the player's hands. Even more painful is that after the fact, it is revealed that The Boss never actually defected, and was instead a triple agent working for the U.S. government. However, after the nuclear attack, the only pathway to U.S. innocence was for The Boss to be seen as a traitor and for Snake to end her life. It's a painful finale that cements Snake Eater as one of the best video game prequels of all time. 6 Makoto Yuri/The Protagonist - 'Persona 3' (2006) Image via Atlus The various games in the Persona franchise go out of their way to have the player correlate and see themselves as the central protagonist, from choosing their name at the beginning to making choices in the social links and dialogue options. Persona 3 utilizes this facet to create one of the saddest moments in JRPG history, as the final moments see the protagonist dying, having sacrificed their soul to seal away the final boss and save humanity. Even more emotional is that the protagonist's final moments are being comforted by Aigis, reflecting upon her newfound appreciation for life and a reason for her to continue living. It's a bittersweet moment that emphasizes the importance of life and the friendships and happiness that we have in the short time that we have. This death stands at the center of everything exceptional that the game accomplishes with its storytelling and themes, elevating it to all-time status. 5 Sarah Miller - 'The Last of Us' (2013) Image via Sony Computer Entertainment The most emotionally impactful and saddest deaths often occur in the third act, long after players have grown accustomed to the character's charms and beauty. The Last of Us is certainly home to its fair share of prominent emotional deaths that fit this bill, with many people quick to spout Joel's shocking death in The Last of Us Part II as the saddest moment in the franchise. However, in terms of a genuine tearjerker, it's hard to beat the moment that launched the emotional aspects of the entire franchise: Sarah's death in the intro of the original game. The moment takes place at the beginning of the outbreak, with Joel and his daughter Sarah running for their lives and coming face to face with a soldier who has been given orders to kill anyone out of fear of the infection spreading. While Joel manages to survive the skirmish, his daughter Sarah is shot, creating an absolutely devastating scene of Joel holding her and telling her it will all be ok as she cries out in pain and fear in her final moments. It then hard cuts to gaming's most memorable title card, hooking audiences harder than any other narrative game in history. 4 Mordin Solus - 'Mass Effect 3' (2012) Image via BioWare Part of the beauty of the entire Mass Effect franchise is the bonds and connections that you foster with each member of the crew, growing and connecting with them throughout the trilogy as some of the most fleshed-out characters in sci-fi game history. This makes the various sacrifices and deaths of characters in Mass Effect 3 all the more painful, whether it's deaths that you could prevent through strong gameplay or, even more emotional, those that cannot be avoided no matter what. Of these inevitable deaths, the one that absolutely hits the hardest is Mordin Solus, an alien scientist who initially appeared in Mass Effect 2 and quickly became a fan-favorite thanks to his distinct personality and logic-based charm. His death comes as an act of pure sacrifice, with the character curing the Genophage at the cost of his life, using his skills as a scientist to save millions of krogan as his final act. To really hammer home the pain of this moment, Mordin, in his final moments, hums to himself his classic song, a riff on "Major General's Song". 3 Arthur Morgan - 'Red Dead Redemption 2' (2018) Image via Rockstar Games Red Dead Redemption as a franchise is not a stranger when it comes to shocking and emotional deaths. The original game has one of the most infamous ones with the final stand and execution of player character John Marston. With this in mind, many players went into Red Dead Redemption 2 knowing that emotional death was a possibility. Yet, the prospects surrounding the death of the prequel's new protagonist, Arthur Morgan, are much more somber and emotional. While Martson's death came from a place of betrayal as he failed to fight for his life that he fought so hard to maintain, Morgan's death comes from inevitability and acceptance, as his body succumbs to the pains of tuberculosis. In his final moments, he maintains his moral character and feels content in his attempt to do good by his friends, convincing Dutch to abandon Micah in the process. In his final moments, Morgan watches the sunrise and embraces the inevitable, with some masterful music further emphasizing his death and legacy. 2 Lee Everett - 'The Walking Dead' (2012) Image via Telltale Games No matter what medium The Walking Dead takes place in, it is sure to have a number of shocking, noteworthy character deaths that lead to tears. However, no death in the comics or the TV show comes close to the emotional gut punch of Lee Everett's demise at the end of Telltale's episodic adventure game adaptation. Having been bitten by a walker earlier in the game, Lee has run out of time and cannot protect Clementine anymore, with the choice for either Clementine to shoot him or leave him to turn into a walker. No matter the choice, both deaths are rife with heartbreak and pain, as the main character that players have been controlling for the entire game loses his life, leaving a permanent impact on Clementine and fans themselves. It's a moment that exemplifies all of the greatest strengths of The Walking Dead as a franchise and is often considered one of the bleakest video game endings of all time. 1 Aerith Gainsborough - 'Final Fantasy VII' (1997) Image via Sony Computer Entertainment Many prominent deaths have done a great job of bringing up the waterworks, but it's impossible to understate just how much Aerith's shocking death in Final Fantasy VII changed gaming forever. The lovely flower girl who shockingly ends up being a victim of Sephiroth, Aerith's death comes as a complete shock due to its inherent sadness, and also because gaming simply didn't have such a shocking moment up until that point. Even nearly 30 years after the game's release, no other gaming death has reached the infamy and icon status of this powerful moment. It lingers throughout the rest of the game and has had a legacy spanning the video game industry as a whole, paving the groundwork for nearly every other death on this list. It's both beautiful and heart-wrenching in the best ways possible and will forever be the icon of sad video game tragedies. Cast Ayumi Ito, Takahiro Sakurai, Showtaro Morikubo, Maaya Sakamoto, Keiji Fujiwara, Taiten Kusunoki, Yuji Kishi, Shôgo Suzuki, Masahiro Kobayashi, Yumi Kakazu, Hideo Ishikawa, Masachika Ichimura, Miyu Tsuzurahara, Kyousuke Ikeda, Junichi Suwabe, Megumi Toyoguchi, Rina Mogami, Banjo Ginga, Kenichi Suzumura, Toru Okawa, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Kenji Nomura, Kazumu Izawa, Sumire Morohoshi, Kazuhiro Yamaji Runtime 101 minutes Director Tetsuya Nomura Writers Kazushige Nojima