Top 10 Signs that a Character is Going to Die

Also known as the redshirt, this character’s sole narrative purpose is to die for the most part. They allow for the filmmaker to show how powerful and dangerous the main villain is without having to kill off a major character. The term actually comes from the original Star Trek television series where those who wore red shirts tended to die, usually after tagging along with the main crew. So if you see the major characters attempting to take on the main villain or exploring some unknown land, expect the minor character in the group to bite the dust.

Nobody retires in movies, especially if they are a cop, pilot or soldier. Time and time again, we hear characters say that they only have two more weeks until retirement, or that they just need to go on one last mission before they hang up their boots up for good. These characters pretty much never make it. Given that they are about to retire, they tend to be older characters, and thus their deaths imbue our main characters with a greater drive to accomplish whatever it is they need to do to ensure that so and so did not die in vain.

Similar to our previous entry but with its own uniquely cruel twist, this tends to apply to soldiers who are fighting far away from their loved ones. At one point, they mention that they have someone waiting for them back home, and usually have a photo that they pass around of said person. And that’s it. From the moment the photo comes out or the name gets dropped, these characters are largely doomed. Unlike the red shirt, who tends to die early on in the film, this character usually makes it until the climactic battle, making their death all the more painful to watch.

This is a popular trope in horror films and thrillers. A character has found out a crucial piece of information that is vital to the success of whatever the main characters in the movie are trying to achieve. They then typically try to call the main character to relay this information, but for whatever reason do not manage to touch base or opt to go for the “I can only tell you in person” approach. This never works out well for said character, as the killer almost always dispatches of them before they are able to tell anyone.

If things seem too good to be true, they probably are. After all, what’s a movie or tv show without some form of conflict? No one wants to watch a film where everything goes well for the main character and stays that way throughout. It may not necessarily be the main character who bites the dust, but rather someone else close to them for whom things have finally started to work out. In television, however, particularly in shows like “Game of Thrones”, the main characters are never safe, especially when they seem truly happy.

Everyone loves a redemption story: someone who has made a few mistakes in life or gone down a wrong path only to realize the errors of their ways. Often, however, this act of redemption costs them their own life. From a strictly functional standpoint, this is often because the villain has redeemed themselves to the hero, but the general public will never be able to forgive them for their past actions. Regardless, if the villain all of a sudden changes their tune, don’t expect them to be around for much longer.

Our heroes have made a valiant stand, but are about to be overrun by their enemy. Things look extremely bleak, until one brave soul throws out the line “I’ll hold them off”. This action allows the other main characters to escape, but - with very few exceptions - means the demise of the brave speaker. Whether it’s a question of numbers, timing or an assailant simply too powerful for a single individual to overcome, the odds are fatally stacked against them. Of course, their sacrifice paves the way for the hero to defeat the villain at the end of the film.

If a character is constantly antagonizing other characters on screen, it’s a safe bet that they won’t make it to the end credits. These characters may be smart, handsome, or even charming to some, but they tend to be extremely self-centered and completely unaware of how they are perceived. While this may not be surprising in a villain, the jerk can also be one of the main protagonists. Luckily, they pretty much always gets their comeuppance in the end, much to the satisfaction of the characters on screen and the viewers watching. Filmmakers are cruel, but they know what cinemagoers want to see.

This is usually found in television, but can also occur in film franchises. It’s usually a secondary or even tertiary character, who, up until this point, hasn’t really had all that much to do. If, suddenly, they have an entire episode focusing on them or become a more important character, there is a good chance that they are going to be killed off. This is usually because the show or film wants us to develop a stronger connection with the character to make it more upsetting when they are gone.





Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honourable mentions:



They’re More Badass Than the Central Character



They’re Played by Sean Bean or Michelle Rodriguez



They’re Teens Who Lose Their Innocence

Part of what makes an effective character death is the emotion behind it. It’s much more powerful if both the audience and other characters have some sort of emotional connection to them before they die. As such, filmmakers tend to kill off a character following an emotional moment - good or bad. Perhaps the character has confessed their love for another, a long feud has been resolved, or a parent and their child have just been reunited. Whatever the circumstances, following a sweet, emotional moment, watch for the other shoe to drop.