Top 5 Video Game Character Deaths

Let's face facts here, normally in the video game world nobody dies except the bad guy. Why? Because in the world of fantasy we don't want to face the reality of death, especially in the form of a character we know and love, however if this rare event does happen to pass it is remembered for all time. The death of a favorite character, or person essential to the story line of a game can be traumatic and moving at the same time, in some cases a fatal blow delivered to an important character is just the kind of motivation we need to continue on. So here are the top 5 video game character deaths.

5) Captain Keys from Halo: Although he was not really a main character his interaction with the game was important. Captain Keys was the man who first issued Master Chief a weapon, who threw the Covenant threat into disarray by jumping through space in order to save earth, who sacrificed himself for the betterment of mankind. What makes his death meaningful is the fact that many missions throughout the first game revolves around saving our Captain from the clutches of the enemy, and inevitably, we fail. A hard concept to be sure, but one that only adds meaning and purpose to this wonderful game.

4) Lavits from Legend of Dragoon: Lavits was an important main character on your team in this classic RPG. He was the man whom you rescued from prison, and saved from death once. He was blessed with the Dragoon spirit and given powers rivaling those of Dart. His role in the story was that of a hero, loyal to the last, and always a true friend. His death came as a total shock to gamers completing the first disc of this epic RPG, as Lavits sacrificed himself for his King, falling victim to the powerful Lloyd of the Winglies. King Albert replaces our hero, but not the feeling left by his absence, no other character in the entire game could fill the shoes of Sir Lavits of Bale. Adding to the agony of this loss comes in the form on an epic battle between Lavits and his former team later in the game when he reappears as a malicious spirit under the control of a vile beast. You must defeat your ally in this combat if you are to advance in the game.

3) Iris from Megaman X4: Many people may not even know about her death, but to those of us who know of Iris and her legacy and importance in the Megaman X series it is a horrible tragedy. In the fourth installment of the X series relations between the humans and "Reploids" deteriorates causing a rift in the hunter teams. Megaman and Zero's navigator and data advisor, Iris is a reploid but her job is to protect the humans. In the end the Reploids leave earth and Iris along with them, but when the confrontation comes to a head Zero must fight his long time friend. Iris was with us for the first four X series games and her cinematic death in the arms of Zero was heart breaking. She will be missed because her replacement Allia lacks what Iris brought to the series

2) Johnny Cage from Mortal Combat: Martial arts action star turned hero in the first installment of this series, Johnny Cage had it all. Fame, charisma, and talent, until it was stripped away in an instant when he was killed off. Fans were shocked to learn that their movie star fighter had been throw out of the series, and his death has stuck in our minds, even portrayed in the movie Mortal Combat: Annihilation. He was one of the first true fan supported characters in any fighting game and eventually his tragedy was the fate of many of the other characters. Lu Kang met his eventual fate, as did Sonya, Kano, and Sub Zero, only Raiden and Scorpion remain a part of the series in their original form. Johnny Cage however is the most tragic, because he was the first to lose his life in a long line of great games.

1) Aeris from Final Fantasy VII: Anyone reading this knew she had to be number one. Aris was the sweet, innocent, white magician who we see at the beginning of the game as "the flower girl". She and Cloud have a very close relationship and become destined to be with one another as the game progresses. Aeris is taken away from the team to the city of the ancients where her ancestors lived. Here she will meet her inevitable fate. The antagonist of the game, Sephiroth, manipulates Cloud and has him come to the brink of killing Aeris, raising his sword Cloud begins to close in for the kill, but his feelings for her overcome the hold Sephiroth has on him. Breaking the control Cloud and Aeris stare at one another in one last moment of piece before Sephiroth comes out of nowhere and drives his blade through Aris killing her, and changing the gaming world forever. From that point on anyone could die at anytime! Aeris's death was also tragic in the sense that you did not get a replacement, she was just gone leaving a void in the team, and in Clouds heart.

So that's it, my top five pics for the most tragic, meaningful , and heartbreaking video game character deaths of all time. We all hate to lose but the deaths of some characters add to the adventure of the game, allowing the story to progress and for the player to become more involved in an overall goal. When a character dies and he or she was such an important and or intricate part of the story, their absence makes everything just that much more memorable.