Wait... aren't these main characters?! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at movie characters who left a lasting impact, despite dying early. Nothing but spoilers here.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at movie characters who left a lasting impact,
00:15despite dying early.
00:16We're excluding characters who die at the beginning of sequels since they made it through
00:19at least one movie alive.
00:21Nothing but spoilers here.
00:33Number 10.
00:34T.E.
00:35Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia.
00:36Thomas Edward Lawrence lived as he died, seeking thrills.
00:48Although he survived the First World War, he died suddenly in a motorcycle crash before
00:52turning 50.
00:53As far as the audience knows, Lawrence is an average civilian.
00:56That is until we cut to his funeral.
01:05Lawrence is given a decorated memorial at St. Paul's Cathedral with numerous guests
01:09in attendance.
01:10While many of them crossed paths with Lawrence, few knew him personally.
01:14From there, the film is told through flashbacks as we unpack the extraordinary life of T.E.
01:18Lawrence.
01:19The ending brings things full circle as Lawrence returns to Britain, longingly leaving Arabia
01:23in the rearview mirror.
01:25A motorcyclist passes Lawrence, hinting at the tragic end to a short, yet epic life.
01:39Number 9.
01:40Casey Becker, Scream.
01:43Besides the ghost face mask, few images are more synonymous with Scream than Drew Barrymore's
01:47blonde wig.
01:48Being the film's biggest star at the time and a focal point of the marketing, audiences
01:52assumed Barrymore's Casey would be the final girl.
02:03Turns out, Casey was the first girl, establishing that anyone can die.
02:07Originally, Barrymore was attached to star as the film's true protagonist, Sidney Prescott.
02:12Barrymore suggested that she instead play the character who gets killed in the opening
02:15scene.
02:23It's only natural for the viewer to assume that a big name like Barrymore will slip through
02:27the killer's grasp.
02:29Casey's brutal death sets a tone for a slasher film that doesn't play by the rules, although
02:33it still takes the rules quite seriously.
02:42Number 8.
02:43Ellie.
02:44Up.
02:45After meeting his youngsters, Ellie and Carl's marriage flashes before our eyes.
02:49As an adult, Ellie doesn't even get a spoken line of dialogue.
02:52In roughly four minutes, Pixar's artistry and Michael Giacchino's score express more
02:57about Ellie than most movies get across in a feature runtime.
03:07Ellie is so excited to start her life with Carl that she doesn't even change out of
03:10her wedding dress as house renovations commence.
03:13Ellie's lust for life doesn't make her immune to tragedy and other setbacks.
03:17When Ellie's time runs out, some of her dreams are seemingly left unfulfilled.
03:29Although she's gone, Ellie stays with the audience and Carl, who ultimately realizes
03:34that his beloved wife had the adventure of a lifetime without ever leaving home.
03:46Number 7.
03:47Sam Wheat.
03:48Ghost.
03:49Despite struggling to say, I love you, Sam is ready to spend the rest of his life with
03:53Molly.
03:54Sam has less time than he assumes, however.
03:56Defending Molly from a mugger, Sam thinks he's overpowered the attacker until he looks
04:00back.
04:08Although the movie's title is a dead giveaway, it's still genuinely chilling as Sam runs
04:12back to Molly, finding his bleeding, lifeless body in her arms.
04:16Their future together is erased, but Sam isn't ready to move on from Molly yet.
04:28His death was no accident, and with Molly in danger, Sam dedicates his afterlife to
04:32protecting her.
04:33In death, he may even work up the courage to say the three little words he could never
04:37express in life.
04:44Number 6.
04:45Eric Draven.
04:47The Crow.
04:48A year after being murdered alongside his girlfriend, Eric Draven rises from the grave
04:52to settle the score.
05:00This tale of death, resurrection, and closure eerily mirrored the film's production in ways
05:05nobody could have imagined.
05:07After star Brandon Lee died in a tragic on-set accident, it was uncertain if production could
05:11or should continue.
05:12Once Miramax stepped in as a distributor and offered an extra $8 million, the filmmakers
05:17committed to immortalizing Lee's final performance.
05:27When The Crow premiered, it was like Lee had returned, if only for a short time.
05:32That said, Eric eventually returns to his resting place, now at peace.
05:37Since then, The Crow has appeared in sequels and a reboot.
05:40As far as we're concerned though, Eric's story ended with Lee's.
05:51Number 5.
05:52Joe Gillis, Sunset Boulevard.
05:55This Billy Wilder film won an Oscar for its screenplay, which took a somewhat unconventional
05:59approach to murder mysteries.
06:01While the opening scene doesn't reveal the killer, we're given a close-up of the victim.
06:05Floating face-down in a pool is Joe Gillis, the protagonist and narrator.
06:18One might assume that knowing Joe's fate will suck out the suspense.
06:21Joe's death serves as an effective hook though, as flashbacks detail how we wound
06:25up there.
06:26As a struggling screenwriter, Joe gets mixed up with forgotten silent film star Norma Desmond.
06:39As Joe's career reaches a promising turning point, Norma confronts a sad truth about hers.
06:44All eyes are back on Nora after she shoots Joe, who won't live long enough to have
06:48a pool in his backyard.
06:54Number 4.
06:56Alien.
06:57Today, we all know that Sigourney Weaver's Ripley is the face of the Alien franchise.
07:01Going into the original classic though, it wasn't clear who the protagonist would be.
07:05For all we knew, the story might center on Dallas, Parker, or Kane.
07:09Of course, the latter is taken off the table a little less than an hour in.
07:22After an alien creature detaches from his face, it appears the worst is over for Kane.
07:26Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of Kane's misery, and also the end.
07:38Enjoying what will be his final meal with the Nostromo crew, Kane makes everyone lose
07:42their appetite as an alien bursts through his chest.
07:45Kane may be the first victim, but his death made him an icon.
07:48Number 3.
07:49Charles Foster Kane, Citizen Kane.
07:52Often hailed as the greatest film ever made, Orson Welles' magnum opus challenged traditional
07:57storytelling, beginning at the end of Charles Foster Kane's life.
08:10Although we know how Kane dies, a mystery still lingers over his death.
08:14Who or what is Rosebud?
08:22Through flashbacks, we attempt to unravel the meaning behind Kane's enigmatic last
08:26word.
08:27The audience follows Kane from his fleeting youth, to his rise as a newspaper tycoon,
08:31to the inevitable downfall that leaves him alone.
08:34The press comes up short, but the answer was hiding in plain sight from the gecko.
08:38Lost in Kane's massive mansion is a sled with the word Rosebud inscribed.
08:50Kane seemingly had all he ever wanted except one thing you can't put a price on, a childhood.
08:56Number 2.
08:57Marion Crane, Psycho.
08:59Marion Crane lives longer than some of the other characters on this list, a good 45 minutes
09:03or so.
09:04In a way, that only makes her death more shocking.
09:16The first act is entirely told from Marion's perspective in a story of stolen money.
09:21Not long after she checks into the base motel, we learn that the money is inconsequential,
09:26and Marion isn't the protagonist, at least, not for long.
09:37Audiences in 1960 had no idea what was coming as Marion stepped into the shower and a mysterious
09:42figure pulled the curtain open.
09:43We're all familiar with this scene now, even if you haven't seen the film.
09:48Knowing Marion's fate doesn't make the build-up or execution any less impactful.
09:57Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:00Doc Brown, Back to the Future.
10:02Thankfully, it's nothing time travel can't fix.
10:11Joe Pendleton, Heaven Can Wait.
10:14He was actually supposed to die on March 20th, 2025, which isn't far away.
10:26Gunnery Sergeant L. Hartman and Leonard Gomer Pyle Lawrence, Full Metal Jacket.
10:31For these two, boot camp was somehow more intense than combat.
10:44Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction.
10:46Chronologically, he dies toward the end, but Tarantino loves a non-linear story.
10:57Fantine, Lame as a Rob.
10:59The fact that surprised so many goes to show how few saw the stage musical first.
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11:28Number 1.
11:29Malcolm Crowe, The Sixth Sense.
11:31While several of these deaths caught viewers off guard, nothing compares to Malcolm Crowe's.
11:36Part of that's because we thought he was alive the whole time.
11:46After failing one of his patients, Malcolm strives to help a young boy with a similar
11:50condition.
11:51Coming to believe young Cole can indeed see the dead, Malcolm convinces him that this
11:54could be a gift rather than a curse.
12:01At first, The Sixth Sense appears to be about a psychologist trying to get his life back
12:05on track.
12:06In reality, the film is about Malcolm coming to terms with his death.
12:10Upon helping Cole, Malcolm realizes that he didn't survive his last encounter with his
12:14former patient.
12:27Although Malcolm finds redemption, it's his last act before moving on.
12:38Which death had you checking your watch to see how much longer the movie is?
12:42Let us know in the comments!