Top 10 Saddest Spider-Man Movie Deaths

“The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012)

While Captain George Stacy didn’t agree with Peter Parker’s vigilante methods, the officer promised his daughter he’d still help Spider-Man. The no-nonsense lawman eventually teamed up with the webhead to fight the Lizard. Although Stacy manages to injure the rampaging villain, the beastly antagonist unfortunately heals quickly. After Lizard recovers a hand he lost in battle, he uses it to fatally wound the captain. Seeing Stacy use his last words to try to keep his daughter safe was incredibly sad. The scene becomes more depressing when you realize that Peter had to see another pseudo father figure pass away in front of him. Even though Stacy is gone in an instant, his death has lingering effects on the rest of the characters.

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014)

After Richard Parker’s work at Oscorp paints a huge target on his back, he and his wife say a tearful goodbye to their son and flee on a plane. The two attempt to upload one last crucial file to a secure location. Unfortunately, their work is interrupted when the twisted copilot threatens their lives. Shortly after Mary saves her husband’s life in a tense struggle, she’s tragically injured by a bullet. She’s so focused on the mission that she ignores medical treatment so that her husband can put his attention on the upload. Although we didn’t learn a lot about Mary Parker, her sad demise showed that she was willing to give her life to help others.

“Spider-Man 2” (2004)

Rosalie “Rosie” Octavius and Otto were partners in science, love, and life. After years of romance and research, the two were excited to present a new fusion device to the world. But their energy experiment quickly spirals out of control. When the fusion device bends the window frames out of shape with magnetism, a group of glass shards is sent flying everywhere. Unfortunately, Rosie can’t get out of the way in time. The gruesome method of the innocent scientist’s demise still sticks with us today. All she wanted to do was try to improve the world with the love of her life. But in the end, their greatest achievement together spelled Rosie’s doom.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018)

When Peter Parker’s Spider-Man learned about Kingpin’s dangerous multiverse machine, the hero tried to shut it down. During a heated battle, the webhead is severely injured in an explosion. A weak Peter tries to reassure the newly superpowered Miles that everything would be okay. But the situation gets grim once Kingpin discovers the webhead in the wreckage. After Peter asks the villain to destroy the machine, the hero receives a hard hit that he can’t recover from. The entire city seems to grieve Spider-man’s loss once the news of his tragic demise breaks. If that wasn’t sad enough, the fact that the young Miles feels responsible for carrying on Spider-man’s legacy makes Peter’s death feel even heavier.

“Spider-Man 3” (2007)

There was a time where Harry Osborn A.KA. The New Goblin thought his father Norman was slain by his best friend Peter. But once the truth came out, we saw a formerly anguished man glide in to help Spider-man fight supervillains. Peter eventually ends up getting restrained by Venom’s webs during the battle. When the evil alien tries to assassinate Spider-man with a sharp glider, Harry protects the hero by taking the blow himself. Seeing the New Goblin fall just as he mended his relationship with his best friend was absolutely heartbreaking. We wanted to weep right alongside Peter and M.J. as Harry took his last breath.

Various “Spider-Man” Films

Anybody with the slightest knowledge of Spider-Man’s history knows that Uncle Ben’s demise is a key part of the webhead’s origins. However, that still doesn’t make it hurt any less whenever we see it on screen. Uncle Ben is always shown as a man who cares deeply about Peter. Unfortunately, the surrogate father figure usually perishes because of a mistake that his nephew made. The death of Uncle Ben has caused Peter immeasurable pain and even inspires the hero to lash out at other people in brutal ways. But ultimately, the knowledge that this man’s somber passing could’ve been prevented usually helps motivate a young man to become a great hero.

“Spider-Man 2” (2004)

The once kind and composed Otto took a villainous turn after losing his wife and being influenced by the AI in his arms. After building a new edition of his fusion device, Spider-man helps bring him back to his senses. Unfortunately, Otto’s invention threatened the lives of many New Yorkers and couldn’t just be turned off. The noble scientist decides on the spot to sacrifice himself so that the machine could be destroyed. Although Otto had lost his way for a while, we had never stopped seeing him as a good person and potential mentor for Peter. Watching him make the ultimate sacrifice was to stop something he created at his lowest point was unbearably tragic.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018)

For years, Aaron Davis had been secretly masquerading as a frightening antagonist known as the Prowler. He initially had no problem at all chasing and potentially eliminating any spider-people for his boss Kingpin. However, Aaron refuses to continue attacking when he learns that his beloved nephew Miles was underneath one of the masks. Unfortunately, Kingpin doesn’t take the hesitation lightly and shoots the Prowler for going against orders. Miles is then forced to watch his uncle’s life slip away in a lonely alley. Although Aaron successfully protects his tearful nephew, he still feels like he disappointed his family in his last moments. The complex layers of guilt and regret both characters felt made this one of the most heart wrenching scenes of the entire film.

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021)

Although Peter Parker could’ve let Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin die, Aunt May convinces the young Spider-man to save the villain. The green themed antagonist actually seems to be getting better at first. But in an instant, Norman turns on Peter and May. As a parting gift, the Green Goblin throws a bomb at the aunt and nephew. Both characters manage to survive a horrifying explosion. But while Aunt May is saying inspiring words to her nephew, she starts to succumb to her injuries. Her sudden and unexpected decline left audiences in shock and Peter utterly consumed by grief. In a cruel twist, the villain that the Parkers tried so desperately to save was the very man who permanently ripped them apart.

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014)

Gwen’s incredible chemistry with Peter in the “Amazing Spider-Man” films gave us one of the best romantic storylines in any superhero movie. So, we were on the edge of our seats when Harry Osborn’s Green Goblin flew her to a great height. Although Peter tries his best to keep her safe, Gwen ends up falling during a hectic battle. The method Spider-Man uses to try to rescue her unfortunately isn’t enough. By the time she stops falling, Gwen’s already gone. It was agonizing to watch Peter slowly realize that the love of his life would never open her eyes again. Even seven years after this film premiered, hearing Peter talk about Gwen’s passing is still tremendously painful.