30 Most BRUTAL Deaths in History

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at some of the most gruesome and horrific deaths ever recorded.

Junko Furuta

Junko Furuta's tragic story is one of unimaginable cruelty. In 1988, at just 17 years old, she was abducted by four teenagers. These high school dropouts had turned to a life of crime and subjected her to months of relentless abuse. Held captive in a small, isolated home, Junko endured unspeakable physical, emotional, and psychological torment for nearly a month and a half. Her torture was too vicious to describe. As the days passed, her strength and will to survive evaporated. In the end, she was brutally murdered. Junko's story is a harrowing reminder of the depths of human depravity and the devastating consequences of unchecked violence.

Sylvia Likens

Sylvia was one of five children born to a pair of carnies. It wasn't a stable home, and when she was a teenager her mother was arrested. Sylvia and her sister Jenny were left in the care of Gertrude Baniszewski, the mother of some classmates. Soon after, the abuse began. Sylvia bore the brunt of the violence. Over three months, she endured beatings, starvation, sexual assault, and branding. Gertrude invited her children and some neighbors to join in the violence. The severity shocked even seasoned detectives. Sylvia's body bore over 150 wounds, a testament to the relentless cruelty she faced. Her death was the tragic culmination of a horrific ordeal.

Ugolino della Gherardesca

Ugolino della Gherardesca, was a 13th-century Italian nobleman caught between two warring families and the powers they controlled. He navigated the politics as well as he could, rising to great prominence in Pisa. Food riots in 1288 led to a fatal mistake: during the chaos, Ugolino killed the nephew of the archbishop. The archbishop and Ugolino’s enemies seized the opportunity to cast him down. He was ultimately detained in a tower with his two sons and two grandsons. After a few months, the archbishop ordered that the keys to their prison be thrown into the Arno river. Ugolino and his family were left to slowly starve to death. Dante Alighieri immortalized Ugolino's suffering in his Inferno, ensuring this tragic story would echo through the ages.

Brunhilda of Austrasia

Brunhilda, part of the inspiration for Wagner’s Valkyrie Brünnhilde, was far more than opera’s braided heroine. In reality, Queen Brunhilda ruled one of Europe’s largest kingdoms over 1,400 years ago. She was a Visigoth who married into Frankish rule of Austrasia and Burgundy. Brunhilda ruled for decades in three separate regencies through sheer force of will and combat. At age 70, serving as regent for her grandson, she was betrayed, deposed, and captured. The histories differ on the manner of her execution. Some say that she was dragged to death by a wild horse. Others say that she was drawn and quartered. Today, her mythic legacy survives in costumes and opera halls.

St. Cassian

Saint Cassian of Imola represents every teacher's worst nightmare. In 4th-century Italy, Cassian was a man dedicated to shaping young minds. He taught reading and writing, wielding a stylus instead of a sword. When he refused to engage in an activity which went against his Christian faith, the Roman authorities condemned him to an unthinkable fate. His executioners? His own students. Resenting his past punishments and bent on revenge, they tied him to a stake. Armed with their pointed iron styluses - the tools of their lessons - they stabbed him. The countless shallow wounds prolonged his agony in what became one of history’s most excruciating martyrdoms.

Simon Hannabaert of Audomarois

Simon Hannabaert of Audomarois, a Flemish nobleman, became a tragic figure in the annals of medieval history. In 1302, he expressed his belief that the Count of Flanders deserved rulership over parts of Artois. He was subsequently dragged out of a tavern, and convicted of treason against France. His sentence was a horrific display of medieval justice: breaking on the wheel. First, he was bound to a large wooden wheel. Next, the executioners broke his limbs with a large, heavy club. Hannabaert was still alive when his limbs were broken. After this punishment, he was drawn and quartered. His execution certainly taught a lesson in the cruel ministrations of medieval French justice.

Inalchuq, Governor of Otrar

Inalchuq, the ruthless governor of Otrar, made one of the most insanely stupid mistakes in human history. Haughty and arrogant, he scoffed at a trade caravan sent by Genghis Khan in 1218. He murdered the messengers and dismissed the potential threat. He would ultimately be rewarded with brutal execution as his nation burned around him. Suffice it to say that Khan was less than pleased with Inalchuq's disrespect and cruelty. He laid a long and bloody siege to Otrar, after which Inalchuq was captured. While the exact method of his execution is uncertain, it's widely believed that he was killed by having molten silver poured into his eyes and ears.

Túpac Amaru II


No, we’re not talking about that “Tupac,” though the famed American rapper was named for this legendary Peruvian revolutionary. He was instrumental in inspiring the Inca rebellion against Spanish colonists in 1780 South America. When finally captured, Túpac’s final fate involved psychological and physical suffering. The Spanish insisted that Túpac watch the agonizing execution of his wife and other family members, before he endured his own physical disfigurement. First, Amaru lost his tongue, then he had each of his major limbs tied to four horses, which were sent running in opposite directions. When that still did not defeat him, the fallen leader lost his head, with his parts tragically displayed for all to see. All said, at least Túpac Amaru was a tough takedown.

King Edward II

King Edward II of England led a turbulent life marked by political failures and scandal. Ascending the throne in 1307, Edward’s reign was defined by his controversial relationships with favorites like Piers Gaveston, which are widely presumed to have had a sexual component. His political enemies - most notably, his wife Isabella - used his military defeats, most notably at Bannockburn, to undermine his authority. Twenty years after taking the throne, Edward was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Edward III, and was imprisoned. His death later that year is infamous for its alleged brutality: chroniclers claim he was murdered at Berkeley Castle with a red-hot poker, though the truth remains debated.

St. Bartholomew

Saint Bartholomew was one of Jesus Christ’s twelve apostles. He's remembered as a devoted preacher, carrying Christianity to distant lands and said to have traveled across the known world, from India in the east to Armenia and Azerbaijan in the west. He spread the Gospel despite relentless opposition, eventually leading to his martyrdom. Tradition holds that Bartholomew was captured in Armenia by those outraged at his conversions. Refusing to renounce his faith, he was subjected to savage torture. He was reportedly flayed alive and then beheaded. Today, Saint Bartholomew is venerated as a patron of tanners and leatherworkers, a nod to the method of his execution.

Blackbeard

Englishman Edward Teach is perhaps better known by his nickname “Blackbeard.” Blackbeard terrorized the seas of eastern North America in the early 18th century with his ship, Queen Anne's Revenge. But his notorious adventures came to an end on November 22, 1718. The Governor of Virginia had ordered Blackbeard’s capture, and he was attacked by Lieutenant Robert Maynard and his crew. According to Maynard himself, “he fell with five shot [sic] in him, and twenty dismal cuts in several parts of his body.” His body was carelessly thrown into the water and his head was attached to the bowsprit of Maynard’s ship. It then stood for several years in Chesapeake Bay as a public warning against piracy.

Timothy Treadwell

You may love nature, but nature does not love you back. Timothy Treadwell was a fervent bear enthusiast. He started an organization to help protect bear habitats, and he even lived amongst them in Alaska’s Katmai National Park. But his devotion to these wild animals would be his downfall. Treadwell was camping with his girlfriend Amie Huguenard when they were attacked by a massive brown bear. Treadwell’s camera was on at the time, and it captured the audio of his demise. This audio has never been released, but listeners have provided descriptions that are horrific enough. Both the camera and the couple’s remains were found the next day.

Gordon Moffat

This Scottish man from the town of Buckhaven was working on an oil rig when he suffered a gruesome demise. Moffat was dangling from a harness that was fed through a “mousehole,” a small hole from which the harness cable spools, measuring ten to twelve inches in diameter. The winch pulled Moffat towards the mousehole at a speed of eleven inches per second, and his body was forced through. The official cause of death was “crush asphyxiation” and “multiple injuries.” The drilling company was fined £60,000 for the debacle.

Deborah Stone

Between 1974 and 1988, Disneyland had an attraction called “America Sings.” This was a rotating theater that contained a bunch of singing animatronic animals. The attraction was open for just nine days before tragedy struck. An employee named Deborah Stone was in the wrong position when the stage began to move. As a result, she was crushed between the rotating and stationary walls. Stone reportedly screamed, but theater-goers thought it was part of the show. Luckily, one audience member thought otherwise and went to get help. Unfortunately, Stone was already dead by the time they arrived.

The Byford Dolphin Incident

A drilling rig that operated in the North Sea, the Byford Dolphin saw its share of accidents. The most dreadful occurred on November 5, 1983. Six men were working inside a diving chamber, which is meant to hold people underwater. This chamber requires significant pressurization to protect the inhabitants from the ambient pressure of the deep sea. Unfortunately, a dive tender named William Crammond prematurely opened the clamp before the chamber was correctly pressurized. A massive uncontrolled decompression occurred, killing five of the six men. Their blood boiled, and one of the men was forced through an extremely narrow opening.

Ferdinand Magellan

A world-famous explorer, Ferdinand Magellan died on April 27, 1521 at the age of 41. Magellan was exploring what is now the Philippines when he encountered fierce resistance from a local tribe. The two parties engaged in the Battle of Mactan, which resulted in a decisive Mactan victory. It also resulted in the death of Ferdinand Magellan. Magellan was storming the beach with his men when he was hit with spears. He was also cut on the leg, and when he collapsed, pounced on by numerous Mactan men. What remained was kept as a war trophy by Mactan chief Lapulapu.

Sean Doyle

New York medical examiner Judy Melinek calls Sean Doyle’s death the worst she has ever seen. Doyle went out drinking with his friend Michael Wright and Wright’s girlfriend. Perhaps inebriated, Wright made the assumption that Doyle was hitting on his partner. He attacked Doyle and threw him down a manhole. Unfortunately, a main had broken, and at the bottom lay a pool of boiling water. Doyle did not die instantly. Unfortunately, responders were not able to enter the manhole owing to the incredible heat, and Doyle didn’t make it.

John Jones

An amateur spelunker, John Jones was exploring Utah’s Nutty Putty Cave with his brother on the night of November 24, 2009. Jones came across what he thought was the infamous “Birth Canal” passageway. However, Jones’ estimation was a bit off, and he entered an unmarked opening measuring ten by eighteen inches. Jones was traversing the passage when he got stuck upside down. He remained upside down for the next 28 hours. Rescuers tried to save Jones, but there was nothing they could do with the size and geography of the passage. Jones’ body eventually failed from being upside down for so long and he went into cardiac arrest.

Cato the Younger

A prominent opponent of Julius Caesar, Cato the Younger was a powerful Roman senator. His policies indirectly led to Caesar's civil war, which lasted from 49 to 45 BCE. Caesar emerged victorious, and rather than beg for forgiveness or pardon, Cato decided to end his own life. Cato grabbed a sword while having dinner and drove it into his stomach. According to the Greek historian Plutarch, Cato was quickly seen to by a physician. When Cato regained consciousness and realized that his attempt failed, he tore open the stitches and finished the job. As gross as this is, there’s a chance that Plutarch greatly exaggerated the story.

Arthur Aston

An English army officer, Arthur Aston fought for King Charles I during the English Civil War, which raged for ten years between 1642 and 1652. Aston took part in the Siege of Drogheda, which saw him protecting the coastal Irish town from the invading Oliver Cromwell and his Parliamentarians. Cromwell emerged victorious and laid waste to Drogheda, killing soldiers and civilians alike. Aston was confronted at Millmount Fort and killed after surrendering. It’s reported that Parliamentarian soldiers grabbed Aston’s heavy wooden leg and beat him to death with it. He was one of the nearly 4,000 casualties that occurred during the siege.

Julius Caesar

Serving as the dictator of Rome between 49 and 44 BC, Julius Caesar went out in dramatic fashion. Caesar’s senators feared that he was growing too tyrannical and was no longer fit to lead the Roman Republic. As a result, they committed what they saw as tyrannicide and killed Caesar in the Curia of Pompey. On March 15, 44 BC, Caesar was stabbed a total of twenty-three times, and the resulting autopsy theorized that he had died from severe blood loss. Despite the numerous stabbings, it’s believed that only one of the wounds proved fatal. Caesar’s wildly dramatic death was later turned into the subject of theater and immortalized in Shakespeare’s famous play.

Giles Corey

The Salem witch trials are a regrettable if fascinating stain on American history. In the late 1600s, hundreds of people in colonial Massachusetts were accused of witchcraft and many were killed. A farmer named Giles Corey had it pretty darned bad. Corey was accused of witchcraft but refused to enter a plea. When this happened, the accused would be subjected to a form of torture called “Peine forte et dure.” Corey was laid on the ground and large rocks were placed on top of him. The hope was that the increasing weight would cause so much pain that Corey would eventually cave and enter a plea. But Corey remained silent, and the accumulative weight slowly but surely crushed him to death.

The Brazen Bull

Modern historians aren’t sure if the brazen bull really existed, but it is extensively referenced by an ancient Greek historian named Diodorus Siculus. Siculus wrote about the brazen bull in his famous work “Bibliotheca historica.” Back in the 500s BC, the city of Akragas, Sicily was ruled by the tyrant Phalaris. As the story goes, a man named Perilaus made the brazen bull for Phalaris as a new method of execution. A condemned criminal would climb inside the hollow, bronze bull, and a fire would be lit directly underneath it. The interior of the bull would then gradually increase in temperature, and the criminal inside was slowly roasted to death. Their screams would then be heard as bull sounds from the outside.

David Douglas

A famous botanist from the 19th century, David Douglas is the namesake of the Douglas fir tree of western North America. After traversing the Pacific Northwest, Douglas made his way to Hawaii, and it was here that he would die. Douglas was climbing a dormant volcano called Mauna Kea when he fell into a trapping pit meant for wild cattle. While inside the pit, Douglas was mauled and trampled to death by a wild bull. Not a great way to go. However, suspicion also fell on a local hunter named Edward Gurney. Gurney was the last person to see Douglas alive, money was missing from Douglas’s body after it was recovered, and it was Gurney’s pit into which Douglas supposedly fell.

Saint Lawrence

A Christian martyr, Saint Lawrence was a Roman deacon under Pope Sixtus II, who served for just one year between 257 and 258 AD. The Roman Emperor Valerian persecuted Christians and ordered the execution of its leaders. As a result, many prominent Christians were killed in August of 258, including Pope Sixtus II and Saint Lawrence. Legend has it that Lawrence was placed on a gridiron over some coals and essentially cooked to death. As a result, he’s now the patron saint of chefs! This account was recorded by a poet named Prudentius and St. Ambrose of Milan. However, some modern historians contest this story, arguing instead that Lawrence was decapitated like Pope Sixtus II.

William Wallace

Born in 1270, William Wallace has been immortalized in pop culture thanks to Mel Gibson and his seminal film “Braveheart.” After fighting for Scottish independence, Wallace was named Guardian of Scotland and eventually convicted of high treason by King Edward I of England. Wallace was sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. We won’t get into specifics, but suffice to say, “quartered” is exactly what it sounds like. Following the incredibly graphic and painful execution, Wallace (or what was left of him) was made an example of atop London Bridge. Things were done very, very differently back then.

György Dózsa

Medieval Europe was filled with revolts and uprisings, and György Dózsa of Transylvania led one of them. In the early 1500s, Dózsa led a peasants’ rebellion against the nobility of the Kingdom of Hungary. He and his soldiers fought well, but they didn’t stand a chance against the Kingdom’s massive army. Dózsa was eventually captured, and his execution was crafted to mock his ambitions. Dózsa was placed on a scalding iron throne and forced to wear a smoldering crown. He was then made to witness the execution of his own brother. And while Dózsa was still alive, his body, shall we say, “provided sustenance” for other prisoners of war. That must have made for one hellish sight.

Hiroshi Ouchi

Radiation sickness is an extraordinarily painful way to go, and while most people remember disasters like Chernobyl and Fukushima, the worst nuclear-related death started in the Japanese village of Tōkai. On September 30, 1999, technician Hisashi Ouchi was blasted with an enormous amount of radiation. Following the accident, Ouchi immediately felt sick and grew disoriented. While at the hospital, it was discovered that the incident had essentially destroyed Ouchi’s immune system and that it was only a matter of time before he died. But his family insisted that the doctors do everything they could, so they kept Ouchi alive for months, despite his body literally withering away. After numerous resuscitations, Ouchi finally died of a massive heart attack.

Grigori Rasputin

This man has a reputation for being incredibly hard to kill - a reputation that is buoyed by the likes of the animated “Anastasia” movie and that super catchy Boney M. song. Rasputin was a supposed mystical healer who found himself in the social circles of Russian nobility. Accounts of his last stand are exaggerated, but yes, he certainly did experience a prolonged and painful death. First, he ate cake and drank wine that had been laced with cyanide. Nothing happened. Conspirators dropping pretenses, he was then shot in the chest. He collapsed but ultimately survived. It took two more shots - including one to the head - to finally put Rasputin down for good. His body was subsequently dumped into the Malaya Nevka River in Saint Petersburg.

Balthasar Gérard

In March of 1580, King Philip II of Spain offered a sizable reward for the head of William of Orange. William was the leader of the Dutch Revolt against Spain and one of the main instigators of the Eighty Years’ War. This bounty was answered by a man named Balthasar Gérard, who killed William on July 10, 1584. In response, Gérard was tortured and executed. The methods of torture were extraordinarily harsh, even for the time. The ordeal is way too graphic to be conveyed, but it consists of 300-pound weights, fire, branding, flaying, and sharp nails. Gérard was finally put out of his misery in the market square on July 14, having suffered what is probably the worst death in human history.




Which brutal historical death haunts you the most? Let us know in the comments below.