Killing off a main character at the end of a video game is always a risky move for a developer to make. After all, players are going to be controlling this person for an entire story, so to reach the end, only for them to be killed off, can come across as a little unsatisfying or even infuriating at times. However, when done right, this can be very emotionally impactful, and can even make the whole journey feel all the more special, depending on what the protagonist gives their lives up for during their final few moments.

Related

24 Saddest Anime Character Deaths, Ranked

A look at heartbreaking deaths that shattered fans' hearts in anime, coupled with why the event will forever be etched on Otakus.

When it comes to Capcom, they are known for being a little hesitant to kill off any of their major characters, usually preferring to end on a high note, even in their horror games. Despite this reputation, there have still been a handful of instances where they made the bold decision to have the protagonist be killed as the end of their games, so it's time to see how these character deaths played out, and why exactly they had to meet their demise once the journey was finally over.

6 Dead Rising 2 (Chuck Greene)

Chuck Has One Final Fatal Encounter With A Zombified TK In This Dead Rising 2 Ending

While Frank West already had a difficult enough time trying to stay alive in the first Dead Rising, Chuck Greene in the sequel not only has to take care of himself, but also his daughter Katy, who has been infected by a zombie bite. As a result, players spend the entire game venturing through the zombie-infested Fortune City to try and scavenge as much Zombrex as possible to keep Katy from turning, while also finding out how exactly the outbreak started in the first place.

At a certain point in the game, players will be given the option to give some of their Zombrex to TK, a snobby, rude and entitled man who also happens to be the host of the ever controversial "Terror is Reality" TV show. If players decide not to heal him with some medicine, which is completely understandable, during the final few moments of the game, he will suddenly turn into a zombie and start attacking the survivors. In one final act of heroism, Chuck sacrifices himself to allow the others to escape, proving that, even to the very end, he was always caring much more about the safety of others, especially his daughter, rather than himself.

5 Dragon's Dogma (The Arisen)

The Protagonist Makes The Decision To End Their Own Life In Order To Stop A Vicious Cycle

Early on in the story of the original Dragon's Dogma, the protagonist gets their heart ripped out by a dragon, but somehow, manages to survive the attack, which turns them into the "Arisen". This title is only given to those who are destined to one day face the dragon and stop its tyrannical reign of destruction, though how this would actually be achieved isn't quite as clear, resulting in a very surprising but also emotional final sequence.

Related

6 Saddest Deaths In Rockstar Games

Rockstar Games is responsible for some amazing games that involve incredible characters, and it certainly hurts to see them die.

At the very end of the game, the Arisen and their Pawns enter a mysterious higher plane where they are confronted by the Seneschal, who essentially acts as the god of Dragon's Dogma's world. If players lose the fight to this otherworldy being, the game will end with them being turned into the new dragon, but if they beat them, they will then proceed to take their own life after becoming the Seneschal, in order to stop the cycle once and for all. Though this is an ending that hits like a gut-punch, it also makes a lot of sense within the wider context of the story, and it also fits into the game's main theme of having the free will to break through ancient traditions and normalities in the world.

4 Resident Evil 6 (Piers)

Piers Infects Himself With The C-Virus So That His Lifelong Hero Can Escape In One Piece

Resident Evil 6 is a little weird when it comes to its story mode. The game is split up into four campaigns, all of which feature two playable characters who could technically be labeled as the protagonists. In the case of Chris' campaign, Piers arguably is just as important as the main man himself, since he's very involved in the story and was clearly being set up to be a part of the next generation of protagonists. At least, that's what it seemed at first, as Capcom shocked players by deciding to kill off Piers once he and Chris come up against a giant B.O.W known as HAOS at the end of their campaign.

Realizing that the two of them stood no chance of taking on such a behemoth, Piers injects himself with the C-Virus in order to mutate so that he can fend off HAOS while Chris gets away in an escape pod in what has to be one of the saddest death scenes in the entire series. As mentioned previously, Capcom dedicated a lot of effort to building up Piers' character and making him as likable as possible, so it seemed as though the plucky BSAA agent might be a regular face going forward, but unfortunately, he only ever appeared in a semi-leading role for a single game.

3 Asura's Wrath (Asura)

During His Final Moments, Asura Manages To Be At Peace After Bidding Farewell To His Daughter

On the surface, Asura's Wrath can seem like one of the most over-the-top and ridiculous action games out there. After all, Asura himself is literally a demi god who's capable of destroying entire planets with his immense power, but at its core, it actually tells quite a compelling story which integrates many elements of Hindu and Buddhist mythology. The game's story centers around an eternal war which Asura is very much a part of, but after embarking on one hell of a chaotic adventure, it's eventually revealed that this entire conflict was set up by Chakravartin, the god of all creation, to see who would be worthy enough to rule Gaea.

Related

5 Saddest Deaths In Naughty Dog Games

Naughty Dog knows how to tug at the hearts of players, committing to some truly upsetting deaths of beloved characters in their games.

Enraged by this, and seeking to put an end to the war once and for all, Asura borrows a massive surge of Mantra from his old friend, Yasha, in order to take down Chakravartin once and for all. Though he succeeds in accomplishing this, it also comes at the cost of Mantra being removed from the universe entirely, which in turn, also causes Asura to fade out of existence. The fact that this is the only time in the game where Asura seems to be completely at peace with himself is already heartbreaking enough, but it also shows that as powerful as he is, he's still willing to use his strength for the sake of good, even if it costs him his own life.

2 Dead Rising 4 (Frank)

The Zombie Hordes Finally Catch Up To Frank At The End Of Dead Rising 4

Dead Rising 4 sees legendary video game icon Frank West jumping back into a brand-new zombie outbreak, but unlike his first go-around, he doesn't actually manage to make it out of this one in one piece. Much of the story follows Frank and a few of his colleagues as they try to uncover why a zombie outbreak has randomly broken out in Willamette, and as they start gathering evidence, it seems as though they might be able to expose what really went down there to the wider public.

After an intense final battle with Calder, who is desperate to get her hands on Frank's camera which contains all the data, a helicopter flies down to rescue Frank and his pals, who are being hounded by a gigantic swarm of flesh-hungry zombies. Though Brad and Vick manage to get on board in time, Frank is grabbed from behind by a zombie, and in an attempt to let the others escape, decides to go down with the horde. Despite being so unexpected and emotional, there is at least a goofier side to this death, as Frank does eventually return in the Frank Rising expansion, only this time, he's no longer a human and has become a full-on zombie.

1 Resident Evil Village (Ethan)

In A Shocking Turn Of Events, It Turns Out That Ethan's Body Has Been Crumbling Away The Entire Time

Throughout Resident Evil Village, Ethan Winters goes on a long and dangerous journey across unknown territory in an attempt to find his daughter, who is kidnapped at the beginning of the game. Although Ethan manages to take down each of the Four Lords, including the almighty Mother Miranda, his reunion with his daughter is unfortunately cut-short when it's revealed that Ethan's body is slowly crumbling away due to being made up of Mold.

The truth is, Ethan technically died back at the Baker Estate at the beginning of Resident Evil 7, but the Mold has been keeping him alive and kicking all this time, that is, until it reached its expiration date at the end of Village. To say this character death was unexpected would be a huge understatement, but it was also subtly hinted at numerous points since Ethan was always able to reconnect his chopped off limbs like they were pieces of Lego. Still, the fact that Ethan had to die after going through so much just to see his daughter one last time is extremely sad, but also emblematic of how good of a father he really is.

More

7 Saddest Deaths In BioWare Games

BioWare really knows how to tug at the heartstrings, and there's no better proof of that than with these incredibly emotional character deaths.