10 Exact Moments That RUINED Iconic Characters

#10: Star Lord Ruins His Own Plan

“Avengers: Infinity War” (2018)


Across the first two Guardians of the Galaxy films, Peter Quill learns to open himself up to other people, after closing himself off after the tragedy of losing his mother. He manages to find love in the character of Gamora, daughter of the alien warlord Thanos. This makes it all the more heartbreaking when Thanos kills Gamora to further his evil plans. When working alongside the Avengers to stop Thanos, Quill learns of Gamora’s fate and lashes out violently, which causes their plan to fail and ultimately leads to the culling of half the universe’s population. While, ultimately, everybody got better, many fans find Quill’s reaction to be a moment of unforgivable stupidity.

#9: House Loses His License

“House” (2004-12)


For eight years, across eight seasons, Hugh Laurie portrayed House, the Sherlock Holmes inspired medical genius. Much like Conan Doyle’s detective, House was portrayed as a drug user. Specifically, it is House’s growing dependence on painkillers which leads to an hallucination plotline, culminating in the doctor temporarily losing his medical license as he is voluntarily admitted into a psychiatric hospital. The show would continue for another few seasons after this, following House’s path as a tragic hero, but for many it was this point which marked the lowest point for the good doctor.

#8: Michael is Laurie's Brother

“Halloween II” (1981)


Typically it takes a few installments before a horror franchise starts introducing wacky plot twists. John Carpenter’s iconic franchise did it in just the second entry. Michael Myers, this time played by Dick Warlock, is more of a force of nature than a human character. A significant part of the horror comes from the unknowable nature of this slasher. So to have the revelation that Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode is in fact his younger sister strips him of some of that mystery. It is replaced, however, with a more personal connection between the two, which later movies would take advantage of. In the end, some fans see this connection as a strength, whilst others were glad to see it removed in the 2018 sequel.

#7: Sandy Completely Changes Who She Is

“Grease” (1978)


In this 1978 adaptation of the stage musical, John Travolta’s Danny and Olivia Newton-John’s Sandy realise that in order to prove their summer loving really was only the beginning, they must grow out of their restrictive high school personas and open themselves up to new possibilities. The movie places a greater focus on Danny as we see him grow out of his hypermasculine cocoon and become a letterman, whilst Sandy’s transformation into a greaser is framed as more of an act to impress Danny. Whilst Newton-John’s performance delivers the nuance of a woman with the confidence to stay true to herself whilst trying out new things, it could be seen that she makes the shallower of the two changes.

#6: Bane and Talia's Relationship Reveal

“The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)


Comic book adaptations are no stranger to making significant changes to the original stories. Just look at the way this movie handled Robin. Yet it’s not the boy wonder that most fans took issue with when this conclusion to Nolan’s bat-trilogy hit theaters. Instead, attention was paid to Marion Cotillard and Tom Hardy, as their characters, Talia al Ghul and Bane, are revealed to have a backstory which bears little resemblance to their comic counterparts. Rather than meeting during their time with the League of Assassins, this film reveals that Bane and Talia were prisoners together in the Pit, with the adult Bane protecting the young Talia. This twist seemed to come out of nowhere and caught many fans off guard.

#5: “Somehow, Palpatine Returned”

“Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker” (2019)


Oscar Isaac’s delivery of that fateful line explaining the evil Emperor’s resurrection after his death at the hands of Darth Vader is all we get. No other explanation is given to the audience. The previous two films in the series gave no indication that we should be prepared for a surprise villain. Even when the Emperor made his return in the no-longer-canon expanded universe novels and comics, there was some sort of answer to be found to give fans a reason to care. Whether it be cloning, cloning, or more cloning, there was at least some sort of addition to the expansive series lore. But unless you were paying attention to a limited time event in Fortnite, the movie narrative gave you nothing.

#4: Daenerys Burns King's Landing

“Game of Thrones” (2011-19)


This beloved fantasy series may be known for its expansive cast of morally complex characters, but that didn’t stop fans of the show from growing to love Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys and becoming invested in her journey toward heroism. Throughout the story she positioned herself as a saviour to the enslaved and a liberator of the world. Unfortunately, towards the end of the already divisive Season 8, Daenerys ended up liberating the civilian population of King’s Landing from their lives. While the books may have the opportunity to portray Daenerys’ descent into the typical Targaryen madness with a gradual and more tragic approach, the version we have so far is disappointingly abrupt.

#3: Indy Loses His Agency

“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008)


Both set and produced 19 years after the previous instalment, the fourth Indy film made sure you knew how old its lead was getting. Aged 65 at the time of filming, Harrison Ford wasn’t one to shy away from performing his own stunts and action scenes, much like in previous films. In fact, Ford believed that doing so would help alleviate national fears about aging. Still, the movie fleshed out its cast with younger characters, such as Shia LaBeouf’s Mutt, which enabled some of the focus to be taken away from Ford. Some fans believe too much focus was taken away and it led to Indy losing the spotlight in a story which features his name in the title.

#2: Jumping the Shark, Literally

“Happy Days” (1974-84)


You may have heard the term “jumping the shark” before. You may know that most of the entries on this list could be described as shark moments. But do you know where the term comes from? Meaning a moment in which a creative work has exhausted its main ideas and must introduce something new and possibly counterintuitive, it’s the 1970s tv series Happy Days that gave us this concept. Henry Winkler’s character Fonzie was characterised as being a typical greaser and far cooler than any of the other cast members. He quickly became a fan favourite and therefore the focus of many storylines. One such storyline involved him jumping over a shark whilst water-skiing. Safe to say it isn’t fondly remembered.

#1: Fleck Gives Up on The Joker

“Joker: Folie à Deux” (2024)


The first Joker film, released in 2019, was a surprise hit, becoming the first R rated film to gross a billion dollars worldwide. It is, perhaps, the ultimate joke that its 2024 sequel, made only because of the immense success of the first one, would become a commercial flop. Barely making back its two hundred million dollar budget, this film was utterly rejected by critics and fans alike. The real punchline here is how the movie ends. Imprisoned in Arkham Asylum, Arthur ends up killed by a mystery character implied to be the real Joker we know and love to hate. Honestly, you can’t help but wonder what sort of a folly this whole endeavour was in the first place.


Which of these characters had the hardest fall from grace? Are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments below.