Stories in which the main character/hero is killed off

[highland145]

Fallen.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Old Yeller

 

[edro]

Braveheart

 

[gorcorps]

Arrrr, this be a mighty spoiler thread!

No kidding... why would you want us to recommend stories with this specific ending? Then the whole charater dieing thing has no surprise and you're just waiting for it to happen.

 

[gorcorps]

One of my favorite Japanese comics books is one from the early 90s and in the second to last frame the hero of the story is killed off. Completely unexpected and you have no clue who killed him or why.

So I am looking for other similar stories where the main character is killed off before or at the end of the story. And it can't be an instance where the character sacrifices themselves to help others.


I am thinking about writing a story in which the person we think is the prophecy filling hero is NOT the hero and instead dies near the end of the story where we learn that someone else is actually the true 'hero.' Thought it would be an interesting twist as the reader goes back and looks at all the clues in the book and adds it all up again.

Thoughts?

South Park already did that story

Mint Berry CRUNCH!

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

In the anime Noir, the two main characters are leaving the place where their finale battle is and the screen turns to black then you hear two gunshots.

 

[Lounatik]

No Country For Old Men. Really good movie.


Peace

Lounatik

 

[Tweak155]

Spoiler

The Sixth Sense. Well, technically he dies in the beginning of the film, but you do not know that until the end.

MotionMan

This was my input.

Also as a joke:

LOST

 

[bignateyk]

Harry Potter :sneaky:

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Slaughterhouse Five

 

[Farmer]

Leon in The Professional, quite dramatically.

 

[guyver01]

Of Mice and Men

 

[Narse]

Spoiler

Mistborn trilogy

 

[bigrash]

The Bible.

maybe I should have put a spoiler tag.

 

[Muse]

I don't want to print any spoilers here but The Departed by Scorsese fits this perfectly. Great great movie, and IMO pretty funny toward the end.

 

[Jeeebus]

Fallen.

doesn't fit the Op's requirements - he sacrifices himself to save the others.

 

[highland145]

doesn't fit the Op's requirements - he sacrifices himself to save the others.

Right you are. Skimming comprehension fail.

 

[joesmoke]

In the anime Noir, the two main characters are leaving the place where their finale battle is and the screen turns to black then you hear two gunshots.

hmm... somehow i forgot that part. course, i had a fairly jacked bootleg off ebay.

 

[Tencntraze]

Spoiler

Mistborn trilogy

Was actually going to suggest this too. The entire basis of the story, from the beginning (without spoilers) is "what would happen if the prophesized hero failed and a dark lord rose to take his place". Great trilogy.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Layer Cake. Good movie which not a lot of people saw, which I've now thoroughly ruined for everyone. You're welcome.

 

[rasczak]

Leon in The Professional, quite dramatically.

Quite epic indeed.

 

[MrDudeMan]

What a fail thread. No one has mentioned

Spoiler

The Matrix!!!

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

What a fail thread. No one has mentioned

Spoiler

The Matrix!!!

That's because it's not worth mentioning : p

 

[MrDudeMan]

That's because it's not worth mentioning : p

Aw come on...

 

[ProfJohn]

Matrix doesn't count because Neo comes back to life.


Now if Neo died and we learned that Morpheus was actually the one then it would work.