Worst Character Deaths In Gaming That Will Haunt You

An obvious warning: Spoilers ahead.

Story Highlights

  • Some video games often put heavy emphasis on their respective storylines as compared to other facets.
  • Once that happens, players usually get attached to the characters portrayed in the story of the game. 
  • Titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2, The Last of Us 2, and others, sport great tragedies. 

We all have our own special moments in gaming that just break us down on an emotional level. That’s also when you realize that you’ve just played a fantastic game, because a piece of entertainment has to be well-made in order to make one cry, now doesn’t it? Well, over the years, the gaming industry too has produced breathtaking performances over the years via games that get you attached to the respective characters.

That’s why I decided to put together a list of such games that sport horrible character deaths, the type that will make you want to curl up into a ball. But before we get started, you should know that the forthcoming entries could potentially spoil your playthroughs if you haven’t gotten your hands on these titles already. Proceed with caution.

These Character Deaths In Gaming Came With A Heavy Toll 

If you feel like more additions could be made here, make sure to post a comment down below and tell me all about them. 

1. Red Dead Redemption: John Marston

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So this was obviously coming, and any Rockstar Games fan who’s read the headline of the article probably anticipated it ahead of time, but let’s not, in any case, forget about the legend that John Marston is in Red Dead Redemption 2.

Displaying such personality over the course of the game’s events, the “Wild West” outlaw meets his demise at the end when John is brutally betrayed by one of the central characters in the title. It’s all too painful, fairly speaking, when John sees an end he did not really deserve.

In other news, the first Red Dead Redemption is still not on PC and looks like PC players will have to wait some more for the game to arrive on the platform.  

2. Halo Reach: Kat 

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One of the most prominent characters in the iconic Halo: Reach, Kat died an extremely sudden death, being a part of the fearless Noble Six team. Her passing came as a major shock, considering how abruptly it happened, and how it left players feeling afterward. The entire storyline of the game is engineered in a way that Reach would translate to an amazing live action adaptation, for that matter, because of how all the plot events are laid out.  

Oh, and let’s just not forget about that ending, shall we?  

The worst part about Kat’s death is that she’s the one who points out the danger of using open comms because the Covenant might find them,” says one u/Icariiiiiiii on Reddit. 

3. The Last Of Us 2: Joel 

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Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us franchise is going down in history as one of the greatest, and not without good reason, but if there’s one part of the series that has stirred a ton of controversy, it’s what The Last of Us 2 does with Joel, the primary protagonist in the first game, and a fan-favorite character of PlayStation fans. No one really saw this coming, especially considering the way it played out.

You would expect a title of this stature to do Joel some justice, but that’s not the way things went down. Anyhow, while that won’t be changing now, it is possible that HBO switches it up with The Last of Us television show, and I’m genuinely hoping Jeol gets to live the full season. 

4. Titanfall 2: BT-7274

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Easily one of the greatest first-person shooting multiplayer experiences of all time, I hold Titanfall 2 in high regard for reasons more than one. Not only does this game pack an incredibly tight gameplay, but the story is so on point, you can’t help but start rethinking your life decisions after playing through the epilogue, where Jack Cooper’s — the protagonist — Titan called BT-7274, sacrifices itself to keep Jack alive.

That’s nothing short of a heartbreak, but popular fan theory has it that BT’s AI is still alive somewhere, and if perhaps Respawn finally comes around for another iteration in the franchise, we might see the Titan resurface, blowing fans away right in the process. 

5. Ghost Of Tsushima: Lord Shimura 

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Next up, we’ve got another heartbreak of a showdown in the name of Jin Sakai vs his uncle Lord Shimura in Ghost of Tsushima—Sucker Punch Productions’ 2020-released action-adventure masterpiece. The game has some of the best set pieces I’ve ever experienced, and it’s probably one of the few titles out there that will make you cry over a horse’s death. 

Ghost of Tsushima.
Ghost of Tsushima Is Relentlessly Fun | Source: PlayStation 

In the epilogue of the game, you’re met with two choices: Whether to spare your uncle or kill him. Provided that this entry goes null and void if you choose the former, but laying waste to him is going to be crushing for the soul, and you’ll have to live with it no matter what. 

6. God Of War Ragnarok: Brok 

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One of the most beloved characters in the God of War series, Brok is a dwarf loyal to Kratos and Atreus, despite his raunchy attitude and cutthroat dialogues. His death just doesn’t happen to be sad, woeful, and everything of the sort, but fairly detrimental to other characters in-game as well, where his brother, Sindri, becomes full of hate and rage following the event. 

eXputer reviewed God of War Ragnarok and rated it 4.5/5.0, calling it “exceptional in almost every single way, whether it’s the bone-chilling soundtrack, heartfelt yet gut-punching storytelling, or the extremely satisfying combat.”

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Huzaifa, an Online News Editor at eXputer.com, is a video game industry aficionado with a talent for unearthing the juiciest stories for his beloved readers. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Data Science, he dives deep into the abyss of news, meticulously dissecting every tiny detail to serve his audience. When he's not unravelling breaking news, he becomes a master storyteller, conjuring up captivating tales from the depths of his imagination. With a wealth of experience as a Video Game Journalist, he's penned his mighty words for numerous other video game outlets, leaving no video game unturned and no pixel unexplored! Experience: 4+ Years || Education: Bachelor of Science in Data Science || Previously Worked at VeryAli Gaming & TheNerdMag || Covered 100+ News Articles

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