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Characters Who Died Under Our Watch, Part 3
The actual death of a video game character was once a rare thing. A reserve of phoenix down and extra lives could keep your favorite heroes going for hours. These days, more and more developers are willing to kill off characters for good. Whether it's the protagonist or just a strong supporting player, the loss of a character that you've gotten to know can have a profound impact on your experience. We've run through a wide range of examples already, but the trend only seems to be growing. In this continuing feature (part 1, part 2), we pay tribute to the familiar faces that we've lost in games.
Spoiler Warning: This list contains spoilers for The Last of Us, Gears of War 3, L.A. Noire, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea – Episode 2, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, and Infamous: Second Son.
Cole Phelps (L.A. Noire)
He’s not a flawless man, but Cole Phelps ultimately put the needs of others before his own. In the closing scenes, he helps his friends escape a series of river tunnels ahead of an oncoming rush of water. He hoists them up to safety, but with no time left for himself, Cole says “goodbye” as the waves sweep over him.
Dom (Gears of War 3)
The sad events of Gears of War 2 took a toll on Dom, and he is worse for wear in the series’ third installment. When he spots an opportunity to save his comrades during an enemy onslaught, Dom selflessly takes it. After a brief radio farewell, he drives a truck at high speed directly into the heart of the firefight. The crash and ensuing explosion buys Marcus and company the time they need to escape, but leaves them mourning the loss of a true friend.
Reggie (Infamous: Second Son)
Anyone who has played the previous Infamous games knows to expect the death of at least one prominent character. Even so, Reggie’s fate stings because of how much the game focuses on the brotherly bond he shares with Delsin. Whether you choose you to be good or evil, Reggie stands by you – until the end, when you need to let him go.
Big Brother (Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons)
Brothers is a game about cooperation. Because every puzzle relies on the two lead characters working together, players assume that the pair is inseparable. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case; after being lured away by a questionable love interest, the older brother is killed. After a heartbreaking burial, the younger half of the duo must carry on with his own strength.
Next: Underwater cities and the zombie apocalypse aren't easy to survive.
Tess (The Last of Us)
The problem with living in a post-apocalyptic world full of zombies is that you can’t get too attached to anything or anyone. Tess is a smart, capable companion – and seems to be the only person Joel trusts. That trust in Tess quickly transfers to the player, but you don’t have much chance to see the relationship develop. To save Joel and Ellie, Tess sacrifices herself.
Elizabeth (BioShock Infinite: Burial At Sea – Episode 2)
If one Elizabeth dies, it’s no big deal. Aren’t there infinite Elizabeths, after all? The second episode of Burial at Sea tells us that this isn’t the case – that the myriad versions of Elizabeth have merged into one. Even without reality-bending powers, Elizabeth gets her job done, saving the Little Sister named Sally at the cost of her own life.
Paz (Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes)
She may have betrayed Snake at the end of Peace Walker, but Paz remains a sympathetic character even in her final moments. The young triple agent endures unspeakable torture during her imprisonment, but remains lucid enough after her rescue to prevent a surgically implanted bomb from taking out Snake. Her true allegiance was debatable until her final act proved her loyalty.
A Bunch of Pirates (Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag)
Edward Kenway has a crew of dirty pirate friends who haphazardly drop into the story at various points. After a few hours, they start to drop out of the story, too. Starting with Blackbeard, Edward’s friends are killed off over the years, leaving him a lonely man – save for one spark of hope at the very end.
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