Liu Kang - Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance

This Shaolin Monk was one of the original seven playable characters in Mortal Kombat, and he was one of the most loved. That's why it came as such a shock to see Shang Tsung snap his neck cleanly in two at the beginning of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Ed Boon and his team kept Liu out of action for the entire game, but he was unlockable in its sequel after completing a ridiculous amount of tasks. The only catch? He's a zombie, naturally.

Jin – Xenosaga: Episode III

Weirdos are dying left and right in the final episode of Xenosaga, but Jin is the only one of your party members to contribute to the mounting bodycount. The selfless samurai fights alongside KOS-MOS in the game’s final moments, giving new meaning to the phrase “Live by the sword, die by a monster’s sword out in the cold void of space.” That’s a phrase, right?

Everyone - Heavy Rain

Like Commander Shepard, this is only a possible outcome. Every playable character in Heavy Rain can die, and the game will continue forward without them. With the game's variety of quicktime events, there are plenty of opportunities to mess up and send your character to an untimely death. Those with quicker thumbs can avoid all of these deaths, leading the entire cast to live happily ever after. Except for you know, that whole kid-killer on the loose thing.

With contributions by Joe Juba