The death of a beloved character often makes for some of the most gut-punching moments in video games. A good game knows how to create characters that players will really connect to, which makes their loss hit hard. Oftentimes, these characters meet their end right before the protagonist’s eyes for dramatic effect, spurring them into action to give meaning to their companion’s final moments.
However, there are times when video games deliberately choosenotto show a character’s death. Sometimes, this happens to keep the plot more realistic — after all, the hero can’t always be present foreverydramatic plot point. Other times, the game wants to give characters a quiet, more tasteful end, away from the camera.
In the originalBaldur’s Gate, companions often came in inseparable pairs. One such dynamic duo was the powerful witch Dynaheir and her faithful bodyguard Minsc. Throughout the entire game, Minsc’s dedication to hiswychlaranwas unshakable, charging into battle without a second thought to protect her. And she, for her part, was equally devoted to him as a trusted guardian and friend.
That makes it heart-breaking when the sequel,Shadow of Amn, begins with the party locked away in an evil wizard’s dungeon. Minsc is in chains, andDynaheir is already dead. He’s devastated over his inability to protect the most important person in his life, just as the player is unable to save her from the time they boot up the game. What drives this death home is Minsc’s grief and his gradual journey to finding a new purpose in life from the void his witch left behind.
Long before Aloy set out on her adventures, the futuristic world of the Old Ones came to an end. An uprising of rogue robots threatened the extinction of not only humanity butallorganic life. The Earth would have been left a barren husk had it not been for the tireless efforts of Project Zero Dawn, led by genius scientistElisabet Sobeck.
She led a team of the world’s leading scientists to help engineer Earth’s future. In the end, she sacrificed herself to save her team and ensure their project’s success. After a heartfelt goodbye over the comlink, Dr. Sobeck is never heard from again. Her genetic successor, Aloy, finds her remains centuries later.
Not all villains are willing to admit when they were wrong. Most stubbornly hold on to their misguided extremist beliefs to the bitter end, no matter how much harm they cause. Fortunately, this isn’t the case for The Master in the originalFallout. When the protagonist convinces him that his plans for a mutant-only future won’t last longer than a single generation, he’s understandably horrified.
The Master is left reeling at the ramifications of what he’s done for a “greater good” that never existed. Then, he asks the player to leave, promising to dissemble his life’s work. As the protagonist leaves the facility, it explodes behind them,taking down The Master with it.
Fire Emblem: Three Housesis one of the franchise’s finest installments, thanks in large part to its branching story. As the story begins, protagonist Byleth becomes the new teacher at Garreg Mach Monastery. The first half of the game involves getting to know the students of each House and guiding each of them on their personal journeys. One of these students in Dimitri, the leader of the Blue Lions House and the crown prince of Faerghus.
The player’s choices throughout the game’s first half have a dramatic effect on the second half’s story and potential endings. In some, Dimitri grows up to become a shell of his former bright, blueblooded self on the road to redemption. In others, he’s mercilessly executed by his former classmate-turned-enemy. In some storylines, his death is only mentioned in exposition. For gamers who were fond of the knightly young man, his sudden demise is certainly a gut punch.
For gamers in the mid-2000s, the death ofLucas and Claus’s motherwas their version ofBambiorThe Land Before Time. A child losing their mother is a grim reality to contend with, and for many young gamers, this was their first time confronting such loss and grief. Hinawa died protecting her children, ending up with a Drago tooth through the heart.
Although her children witnessed the whole ordeal, gamers were mercifully spared from watching the gruesome sacrifice. However, theydolearn about what happened at the same time Hinawa’s husband Flint is told the horrible news. The 16-bit graphics do an impressive job animating a realistic portrayal of rage-fueled grief. Flint’s punching the ground and lashing out at everyone around him is raw, making the player feel the same gut punch the characters are feeling in real-time.
