RPG fans that grew up in the 90s probably have one big death on their mind and it’s the character that died in Final Fantasy 7. That character won’t be spoiled in the intro, but suffice it to say it’s a commonly known fact. A fact that may turn out to be true in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth as well.
10 Video Game Deaths We Will Never Forget
In light of the shocking death on the premiere of The Walking Dead, Game ZXC takes a look at the most memorable character deaths in video game history.
The death was so upsetting for some that rumors circulated on the playground and online about how to get this character back. Was there a way? Too many hoaxes sprouted up online along with rom hacks but there was never an official way to revive this character or prevent the death from happening to begin. This is unlike the following games wherein players can save a life.
WARNING! Spoilers ahead.
7 Ashley/Kaidan
Mass Effect
The Mass Effect series is well-known for having impactful dialogue trees beyond being nice or mean to someone. Some deaths can be executed or prevented in every single game in the series. Perhaps the biggest one drops in the first game as sort of a teaser for what’s to come next.
On one of their missions to stop the Reapers, Commander Shepard has to sacrifice either Kaidan or Ashley. The rescued character will go on to reprise their role albeit in a more minimal capacity in the rest of the trilogy. Who should players choose? Well, let’s just say Ashley is a bit more resentful of the whole operation.
6 Crono
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
- Platform(s)
- SNES , PlayStation (Original) , PC , Nintendo DS , Android , iOS
- Released
- March 11, 1995
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
Crono is the titular character in Chrono Trigger even though the two names are spelled differently. The big bad of this RPG is a giant alien named Lavos who wants to destroy the world. In their first major encounter, Crono dies during the fight which is more impactful in the PS1 port as it added an anime cutscene.
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The story guides players into a way to revive Crono via a special egg and a cloned body. However, Crono doesn’t have to be revived and players can get an ending if they continue without him, so this entry works. Also related, the previous villain, Magus, can either be killed or spared and if players spare him, Magus will join the party.
5 Chidori
Persona 3 Reload
Persona 3 Reload
- Platform(s)
- PC , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Xbox One , PS4 , PS5
- Released
- February 2, 2024
- Developer(s)
- P-Studio
Chidori is one of the human villains in Persona 3 and she organization known as Strega. Junpei meets her before he knows she is evil and he even grows on her. In fact, if players go on all of Junpei’s Link Episodes and follow several other steps, they can save Chidori.
Chidori otherwise dies reviving Junpei after he gets shot by her comrade Takaya. Because it’s not well spelled out in the game, a lot of players can miss this opportunity to rescue Chidori. Doing so won’t amount to much beyond th game though as she doesn’t join the party or anything.
4 Chloe
Life Is Strange
Chloe is the MacGuffin for Max in Life is Strange. After returning to her first school, Max witnesses her former best friend Chloe die. She then gets the power to time travel through photographs and the episodes then are a series of mishaps in Max trying to keep Chloe alive but this is throwing the world off balance. The final decision of the game will ask players to sacrifice the entire town just to save Chloe.
If players choose that option the two girls will ride off into the sunset as hundreds die in a terrible storm. It’s possible to save Chloe, but that is definitely the bad ending. Maybe a better example of cheating death in this game would be Kate, who is a more minor character. Players can save Kate from jumping off a roof if they choose their words carefully but it is tricky without a guide.
3 Shadow
Final Fantasy 6
Shadow is one of the coolest ninjas in the Final Fantasy series who hails from Final Fantasy 6. Like many characters in the game, Shadow comes and goes throughout the adventure. That is, until the game’s first climax which results in the end of the world.
If players don’t rescue and wait for Shadow within seconds of the floating continent exploding, Shadow will die. Getting him into the World of Ruin after the fact is a whole other story as it is a very involved quest. Still, this badass ninja is worth the time investment.
2 Toriel
Undertale
Undertale is kind of the ultimate example of this concept because the whole game is about subverting expectations in a turn-based RPG. Typically, players don’t question the monsters they face in classics like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. However, Undertale allows players to do a 100% passive run to get the very best ending.
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Every enemy from bosses to random minions can be spared. Doing so makes the game harder but the story is better for it. One example includes your adoptive mother, Toriel, who can die in a single blow making that death even more upsetting if players don’t know she can be saved.
1 Zero
Mega Man X2
Zero is the cooler of the two characters introduced in Mega Man X between him and the titular X. Toward the end, Zero seemingly dies to kill Vile and save X yet again. However, X would soon learn in the sequel that Zero’s parts were still around.
90s kids experiencing this game for the first time probably thought gathering these parts would lead to getting Zero’s lightsaber equivalent but actually revived Zero instead. He’s not playable but it does change how the story plays out later. It’s a bit complicated to get all three pieces in Mega Man X2 involving secret bosses and timed locations, but it is worth it to save the franchise’s coolest hero even though Zero comes back either way.
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Death is an inevitable part of almost every video game. These titles, though, manage to use those Game Over screens in some interesting ways.
