Video games are not just endorphin-releasing escapism, something they showcase stories featuring some of the saddest deaths in entertainment. Part of what makes games special is the direct immersion and interactivity they provide.
Storytelling in both indie games and AAA blockbusters has come a long way and players have had to witness characters they've grown attached to meet their demise in one way or another. The process of grieving and handling death comes much easier to some than others, and in the world of video games, death can be just as emotional depending on the relationship players make with the character throughout their time with them.
9 Ghost (Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2)
Ghost's death in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was initially more shocking than it was sad. It happens in a matter of a moment and players are left wondering what just happened. Ever since his first appearance in the original Modern Warfare, Ghost has been a fan favorite.
Heck, the recent release of Call of Duty: MW2 saw the masked mystery man become a viral internet sensation due to one of his voice lines in the game. Nothing can prepare a person for seeing a character they've grown close to throughout two full campaigns to be gone in the blink of an eye.
8 Aunt May (Marvel's Spider-Man)
Marvel's Spider-Man was a revelation in terms of being the first true AAA blockbuster game under Marvel Games' new pursuit of quality licensed video game partnerships. The story it delivered may not have been wholly original to the Spider-Man mythos, but it did hit all of the necessary emotional beats in perfect rhythm.
At the end of the game, players are left to watch Peter Parker reveal himself as Spider-Man to a dying Aunt May. It's a heartbreaking scene that cuts through any of the victorious warm players are feeling after overcoming Otto Octavius in the game's final act. It's made even worse by the fact that players can physically visit the grave site of the late Uncle Ben as well.
7 John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)
Red Dead Redemption was originally pitched as an authentic look at the end of the Wild West. It was meant to showcase the death of the real cowboy and/or outlaw, so the game ending with the death of John Marston felt like the only logical way to end his story.
When people romanticize the death of a cowboy in a Western they often picture the cowboy losing a one-on-one quickdraw or getting shot riding away from the law. Marston wasn't that lucky as his death comes at the hand of a literal firing squad. Sure, quick-thinking players can take out their fair share of gunmen, but there's no escaping his demise.
6 Dom Santiago (Gears Of War 3)
Gears of War is a series often joked about for featuring large meathead soldiers whose only priority is killing locusts. Sure, on the surface the series is nothing more than a science fiction action blockbuster, but for the original trilogy, the writing displays relationship building and special bonds among the COG soldiers.
From the very beginning, Dom Santiago was introduced as the loyal and lovable best friend of the lead character Marcus Fenix. He was always focused on doing what was best for the unit, which makes his choice of sacrificing himself for the greater good an emotionally difficult decision to witness. Audiences are not surprised he'd choose to do this, but the last thing Sera needs is the loss of a man like Dominic Santiago.
5 Aerith (Final Fantasy 7)
The release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake in recent years has fans of the original curious as to whether or not Square Enix is set to change the fate of Aerith. Her death in the original game is regarded as an emotional point of nostalgia for a generation of gamers who were heartbroken when she took her last breath.
Her natural innocence and good-natured optimism made her death a tough pill to swallow. It didn't help that the music accompanying the scene in which Cloud Strife lays her to rest is melodically sorrowful. This moment is what established Sephiroth as an iconic video game villain, not only when looking at the Final Fantasy series, but across the entire landscape of games.
4 Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2)
Red Dead Redemption as a series should now be known as the game series where the main character dies at the end. Sure, the death of John Marston in the original game was tough to witness, but Arthur Morgan's felt like a marathon of sorrow by comparison. Early in Red Dead Redemption 2, astute players would have noticed Arthur developing a cough. Throughout the game it's discovered he has tuberculosis, an illness that leads him to a path of redemption.
By the time the game is over players have had to witness the man they trusted most, a father figure, cross him in the worst way. Millions of people were left wondering why such a good, loyal, and honorable man had to endure the death Arthur did.
3 Joel Miller (The Last Of Us Part II)
Joel Miller's death in The Last of Us Part II is the subject of vitriol and controversy among the game series' fandom. Part of why it was so painfully felt is that Ellie had to witness him be murdered, which puts her on the path of revenge that carries her through the end of the game.
The world can be a brutal and unkind place, and his death is meant to parallel the same type of unneeded violence Abbie felt she had to endure when Joel killed her father at the end of the first game. In a way, Joel became the gaming community's dad as his bond with Ellie was so well-written and performed. It's never easy losing a parent, even if they only exist on a television screen.
2 Lee Everett (TellTale's Walking Dead)
Telltale's The Walking Dead managed to deliver an original story set in the ultra-popular zombie series that took players on a journey. The first season focused on a man named Lee Everett who was tasked with protecting a little girl named Clementine in a zombie apocalypse.
Their relationship blossomed into something powerful as he committed to doing anything and everything in his power to make sure she was safe. His death at the end of the season feels like it happens in an instant. Not only is Clementine left mourning the death of a man who literally gave his life for hers, but players watching it all unfold are also left grieving the life of such a selfless and kind man.
1 Sarah Miller (The Last Of Us)
Fans of The Last of Us would argue that the emotional connection audiences had with Joel Miller made his death as sad as they come in the world of video games. That's a valid point, but the moment his daughter is shot and killed during the opening moments of the first game is hard to stomach.
Not only was it accidental and unnecessary, but audiences have also often been shielded from witnessing the death of children in popular media. It's rarely shown, and at most is hinted at if anything. Seeing Joel hold Sarah in her arms as she succumbs to her injuries is an emotional shock that properly sets the player's expectations of what they're about to experience.