Top 20 Most Heroic Deaths in Movies

Rest in peace, heroes! For this list, we’ll be looking at death scenes in films that display the greatest degree of bravery and/or self-sacrifice. Naturally, since this is a list of character deaths, there will be spoilers ahead! Our countdown includes scenes from "Aliens", "The Iron Giant", "Logan" and more! If there’s a courageous death you were dying to see make our list, be brave and let us know in the comments!
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#movies #heroes #deaths #avengers #mcu #lordoftherings #harrypotter #starwars

[@WatchMojo]

If there’s a courageous death you were dying to see make our list, be brave and let us know in the comments! For more content like this, click here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eKLcoGt4a9aHfLs Become a channel member to get access to special perks: kzbin.info/door/aWd5_7JhbQBe4dknZhsHJgjoin

[@marcusyates3044]

Top 10 Greatest Batman Anti-Heroes! Top 20 Greatest Superman Villains/Greatest DC Supervillain Teams!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Your content rules😊😊😊

[@jakealter5504]

I’d have added Loki

[@MsPandacakes]

Wade Wilson / Deadpool - Deadpool 2 Sure, Cable turns back time to save him, but in that moment Deadpool gave up his life to save Russell. An Anti-hero became a hero in that moment; it should've at least been mentioned. It was so unexpectedly emotional.

[@justineves3588]

Steve in wonder woman what he did to save us all is unforgettable

[@dylanhighter1680]

He may have been your father but he wasn't your dad that line always feel iconic RIP yondu

[@paimzgonzales]

Instant Tears Every Single Time. Yondu Was Really His Daddy!

[@GuardIAN4546B]

“He may have been your father boy but he wasn’t your daddy” “I know I never done right by you, I’m damm lucky you’re my boy”

[@TheEmperorInferno]

And when his ravager brethren give him his tribute?! Oh, my God, I was openly crying

[@And_rew92]

Always hits right in the feels

[@shaemuswickham3168]

This scene alone is 50x more gut wrenching than iron man’s death

[@trinaq]

"Take her to the moon for me, okay?" "I promise, Bing Bong." I'm a grown adult, yet I'm unashamed to admit that this exchange always makes me cry, every single time, without fail.

[@hunterolaughlin]

Same and it’s sadder considering it’s the comic relief character and they’re the ones you’d least expect to get killed off and considering Pixar has a good string of comic reliefs, it’s definitely a risk that they too, but executed well.

[@rhebbhulett]

Same, my dude

[@jajishernandez910]

Your soft grow a pair bud

[@AshPrimeDCFC]

Boromir's sacrifice is rightly at #1. A fantastic character arc comes full circle with absolute redemption.

[@4amcripple]

I wasn't even gonna watch the list without knowing if Borrimir was treated properly. He is the first I think of when I hear heroic death.

[@madelinegarber7860]

Yondu’s death and accompanying funeral always make me cry so much.

[@MrAnshulji]

Youndu's funeral will take away all the gloom of his death and make you feel proud of him. His character arc from a petty rogue to a respected ravager was very satisfying.

[@Mr.Glidehook]

You're not alone.

[@Uma06]

Same same

[@BobDylan-ho2gd]

#1 Is so spot on! I know it couldve been gandalf but of course he came back, but Boromir is the right joice because he had a redemption from being tempted by the ring to trying to save mary and pippin because the fellowship is stronger than anything in this movie.

[@hunterjump2234]

Harry Osborn from Spider-Man 3 even though he tried to kill Peter throughout the movie he died saving his best friend.

[@TheChaosBringer698]

That shattered me the first time I’ve seen the movie same for yondu

[@blucat016]

“Take Her To The Moon For Me. Okay?” I bawled the entire time.

[@ThePinkDragon]

poor Bing Bong

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

I Legit cried when Harry Stamper sacrificed himself to the destory that asteroid.

[@rhebbhulett]

Too low on the list, imo. That shit wrecked me as a young kid.

[@MomoXAnn]

Me too still do. One of my favorite movies ever I feel like he should’ve been placed higher ❤

[@KalmanBorbely]

I also always do when i see it.

[@dp8897]

Same this at 19 is a crime. This and Tom hanks in saving private Ryan are my top 2 all time.

[@bamabarrelracer]

Darth Vader sacrificing himself to save Luke 😢❤

[@user-ou7wu8mf8h]

It’s only a movie

[@DWN22]

Boromir did something even greater than defend Merry and Pippin, he stopped Sauron from getting the ring that day by luring the orcs away from Frodo.

[@marblecinemacore]

Technically, it was Saruman who sent the Uruk, and not for Sauron but for himself...

[@lizziewhitby-davies2472]

Merry*

[@DWN22]

@@lizziewhitby-davies2472 fixed it

[@jakealter5504]

@@marblecinemacoreSaruman was also after the ring so it’s essentially the same

[@marblecinemacore]

@@jakealter5504 it's not the same. Boromir stopped Saruman from getting the ring, not Sauron. The ending results of either story would've been very different.

[@TheCommenterDragon]

At this point it goes without saying that The Iron Giant is one of the saddest animated films of all time, Vin Diesel's performance as the giant is just iconic. Brad Bird knew what he was doing when he made that classic masterpiece of a film!

[@jcj268]

Superman 😢

[@neoswagtwigofthetwignation9778]

The Iron Giant doesn't die. He rebuilds himself at the end.

[@Truckerdaddy]

One of my all time favorite childhood movies

[@terrygasca1809]

Cartoons are NOT movies, as there are NO actors, just talented cartoon artists.

[@Truckerdaddy]

@terrygasca1809 so what the people called that voice the cartoon characters? Oh right, they are called Voice Actors. Movies was the generic term given to a group of photo negatives placed together and shown at a high rate of speed giving the illusion the pictures are moving. Hence the name Movies.

[@albertPI007]

Bing Bong sacrifice touched my heart, alongside Iron man, Snape and Yondu.

[@hunterolaughlin]

Even though he doesn’t stay dead and he’s an obvious Jesus allegory, Aslan taking Edmund’s place to be killed in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is still an emotional moment scene and a great heroic sacrifice.

[@TheImaginator972]

Happy that Boromir's death made the number #1 spot because it shows an man kept his honor after trying to save Mary and Pippin after being corrupted by the One Ring.

[@secondchances1232]

His sacrifice was heroic. He regained some honor in doing so, but only after throwing away his honor by betraying the people he would later save along with the entire fellowship and tried to kill frodo

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

The Iron Giant - The Giant Sacrifices himself to stop a Nuke from wiping out an entire town. His final thought "you are what you choose to be...Superman". Always makes me smile. 🤖

[@phantomrequim]

Tony and Logan's deaths still hurt. 😢

[@originalJoeKing]

Dewey's death in scream 5 still hurts.

[@Raketenmaulwurf]

You forgot one Guy who blew up a starship threatening to kill every bit of live on the Enterprise-E, Earth and the Federation while also saving his friend and Captain... Data's sacrifice came absolutely shocking to all fans and the franchise as a whole

[@redplatoon6147]

When I saw Boromir at #1 I was so happy, my favorite movie character of all time 🙌🏼

[@mikestanley9176]

Jack's death in Titanic...women cried.. Merlins' death in Kingsman...Men cried. yondu in GOTG 2.... everybody cried.

[@theminingassassin16]

People overlook Boromir's sacrifice so much, it annoys me. Yeah, he came off as a snarky jerk at first and almost killed Frodo for the One Ring, but the former was because he was struggling with the thought of his homeland being destroyed by Sauron, and the latter was because he was being corrupted by the Ring. Despite that, he managed to redeem himself by attempting to save Merry and Pipin. Why can't people see that? Hey, critics of Boromir. Here's a suggestion: Why don't you try being in Boromir's place? I would love to see you try to make it as far as he did. I bet you wouldn't make it past the Pass of Caradhras, the area before the Fellowship went to Moria.

[@guus5504]

tbh, I dont see a lot of Boromir haters, he is loved by prettymuch all of the lotr fans.

[@Mr.Glidehook]

His death was absolutely heroic and therefore honorable.

[@theminingassassin16]

@@guus5504 That's news to me. Everyone I've spoken to talks crap on Boromir.

[@arfinjalal4563]

Every LOtR fan needs to read the original book

[@theminingassassin16]

@@arfinjalal4563 Agreed.

[@nolahahnshouse3389]

I thought Darth Vader/Anakin would have made the list for saving Luke from Palpatine

[@ryanschroeder2956]

“You either die a hero, or live long enough to become a villain.” Aaron eckart as harvey dent from the dark knight (2008)

[@mutlupb]

"The needs of the many outweigh... the needs of the few....or the one." "I have been, and always shall be your friend."

[@paimzgonzales]

The Yondu Line... 😭😭😭 & Nux's 'Witness Me' 😩😭😭😭 INSTANT TEARS!!!!

[@genisysprime2384]

Though it may not be a heroic death but John Coffey's death in The Green Mile hits me hard each time I watch it

[@ninedeuce8123]

Queen Ramonda saving Riri in Wakanda Forever should’ve been on here.

[@brucwayn6403]

Seeing X23 being able to live and view her dad as a hero is a different take that i greatly appreciated

[@robvegas9354]

Great list! I know he makes it out alright in the end but that bit when Wall-E resets to original factory settings gets me every time.

[@BladeTNT2018]

Smurfs: The Lost Village is sort of, of an honorable mention because while the main character does sacrifice herself, she gets revived

[@99mrpogi]

Or how about Kevin in the first minions movie even if he never actually died

[@joshuamohlman]

“Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow.” - A.P.J Abdul Kalam

[@Mr.Glidehook]

Excellent list! There are more, but I love your picks!

[@BlazerK1914]

Superman made his Heroic Sacrifice back at Batman v Superman. I didn't mind that part because such moment reminded me of how Gandalf did his heroism back at Fellowship of the Ring when he fought against the Balrog.

[@thakarevlogs8070]

As a potterhead i am glad to see severus snapes sacrifice at no 4... most courageous person ever known to harry in his lifetime...😢

[@shamanaali2374]

Space Cowboys deserves a space on this list. Tommy Lee Jones sacrifice at the end is one of the best!

[@99mrpogi]

Hopefully it can be added if there's a part 2. Let's also not forget the sacrifice of Leonidas in 300

[@olvialee7221]

Severus’s death was brutal but I love the words he said. “Always”

[@olvialee7221]

Yondu and Tony Stark’s death scenes is something I’ll never get over. Including Logan. Don’t look at me

[@brentcase530]

James Bond in No Time to Die.

[@olvialee7221]

I’m not a huge fan of main characters to die but the deaths in Rogue One got me very choked up

[@marvelzero1932]

What???!!!! Where’s are Serizawa’s and Mothra’s sacrifices (both in Godzilla: King of the Monsters)??? They made sure that Godzilla can kick Ghidorah’s ass!!!!!! Even if it costs them their lives (Mothra can reincarnate herself, but, the physical body does die) You should do a part 2 to make sure they’re added to the list!!!!!

[@pruebasYouT]

Great compilation!

[@alasdairgardiner2313]

Spock in Star Trek lI: The Wrath of Khan should be on the list. It is one of the greatest acts of self sacrifice for the needs of the many.

[@stone1andonly]

It *is* on the list.

[@brandonbumby2356]

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few"

[@SonicGamerGirl2006]

Yondu's self sacrifice is truly an act of fatherly love for his adoptive son. However, it doesn't make Yondu's death any less heartbreaking. I STILL cry at this scene, no matter how many times I've seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. 😢😭😭💔

[@MrAnshulji]

this movie was wholesome, and so it GOTG3. Reminds me of the old days of marvel where people could shed a tear for the characters.

[@And_rew92]

We all still cry at that scene. Coupled with Cat Stevens and the Ravager tribute, it's just heartbreaking 😢😢

[@SonicGamerGirl2006]

@@And_rew92 Right?! 😢😢💔 Those scenes NEVER fail to make me cry like a baby. 😭😭😭💔💔

[@clarewaddell3325]

The crew members of the Messiah in Deep Impact should be on here. They sacrificed themselves by destroying the large meteor using the Messiah into it

[@justineves3588]

Very very great epic list I like it a lot very very great job mis mojo one of my absolute favorite list ever 😊❤

[@sdtagolf]

No matter how many times I watch the Iron Giant I always tear up at that scene. It was always my favorite movie I even still have the original VHS my parents bought me.

[@_KP404_]

I’m surprised Vader wasn’t on this list. I get that he didn’t kill Palpatine but he still sacrificed his life for his son.

[@BClarke]

Uncas in “Last Of The Mohicans” The 54th Massachusetts in “Glory” Walt Kowalski in “Gran Torino”

[@gloomcrawl1325]

Glad to see Russel Casse finally get some love. Bro went out in style saving the world!

[@woffandaniel]

So did Harry Stamper.

[@raymondhopwood9393]

"Hello boys! I'm baaaaaaaaack!" One of the best final lines in movie history.

[@GRIRUBIOJethroAaronD]

Missed the Granite Mountain hotshots in Only The Brave, all 33 passengers, and 4 crew members in United 93, Smith in Black Hawk Down, and All 3 soldiers in Lone Survivor

[@olvialee7221]

199: I didn’t expect Merlin to die. I tried not to cry but I did

[@IWantToPetYourDog]

I don't know why some people don't like Kingsmen: The Golden Circle. Elton John!

[@olvialee7221]

@@IWantToPetYourDog I, for one, love that movie

[@IWantToPetYourDog]

@@olvialee7221 Then, Taron Edgerton went on to play Elton John in the biopic. Elton gave Taron the first pair of diamond earrings he bought when he became famous.

[@RyBegz44]

Love the list. The first 5 out of 20 were way more meaningful and started out great. Watch Mojo definitely has a bias for the newest Mad Max movie in their lists LOL. Man on Fire for me definitely needs to find its way on this list.

[@colinginty625]

No Vader on the list? Anakin's redemption to save his son and restore balance

[@iknowallthesadsongs2115]

Man so many good one on this list

[@DustyChalk]

I can't believe you left out Rorschach in Watchmen.

[@williamsummerson1204]

Turner and Hooch. Hooch's heroic death still hurts all these years later. 😪

[@BlenderStudy]

Thank you for the update, WatchMojo..!! They're all amazing movies to watch..!! 😄

[@vgall7308]

In tears watching many of these.

[@Goldtiger142003]

The Iron Giant can make any sane person feel sad, if not cry. I'll always remember how I felt the first time I saw that movie as a kid.

[@chelseacanales8763]

See it’s not surprising that Tony’s and James Howlett’s sacrifices would be higher on this list. 😢😢😢😢😢

[@TechnoPlagueOYT]

Rorschach's death and V's death both should've been on this list as their deaths both changed their respective worlds forever

[@Raienya]

Black Widow's sacrifice being seen as lesser than Tony's still ticks me off. If she hadn't sacrificed herself for the Soul Stone, Tony wouldn't have had the gauntlet at all. She didn't even get a funeral.

[@sterlingcampbell2116]

It's just a movie

[@herzfeldji]

The scene at the end of Private Ryan breaks my heart. How in the hell do you justify your life after all those people sacrificed themselves to get you home?

[@herzfeldji]

And the "who will help me carry him" line at the end of gladiator gets me every time.

[@maozhong88]

It happens all the time. Seal teams going in to enemy territory to save 1 person. Or a whole army to save a few people. Makes no sense, but it happens.

[@canadian0099]

Gladiator is one of my favourite movies of all time and the death of Maximus gets me every time. It’s a combination of the setting, his story, Romes story, the music and him returning to his wife in son in the afterlife that breaks me. No shame admitting that as a grown man. Hits me every. Single. Time.

[@thaIllYankee]

Obi-Wan's death was teased at the beginning of this video & deserved at least an Honorable Mention.

[@dawesolo]

It feels like I just went through my top 20 movies, with scenes that Made me shade a tear

[@Rorschachqp]

Optimus Prime, Transformers: The Movie (1986)

[@user-nj3lg7wi5r]

Kyojuro Rengoku, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (2020)

[@olvialee7221]

Bing Bong’s last words still makes me shed tears

[@disturbedpyro4511]

The first time I saw Guardians of the Galaxy 2 I watched it with my dad and stepmother. I was sitting right beside my father. When Yondu launched himself into space without a space suit,we both said “Yondu, NO!” knowing he was going to die. When the scene ended my dad and I were both crying and we gave each other a big long hug. It just made me think of how hard losing him would be.

[@loganford3921]

Leon The Professional hits me hard. I remember the first time watching it on sky movies n summer of 1996 and I think it was the first movie that made me care about the characters. Also watched the credits ever time because of Sting "Shape of my Heart '. William Wallace Brave Heart.

[@willhemmings]

Yes, I did enjoy this video. Your selection is mainly entertainingly heroic, whereas mine is more tragically heroic. My top five, One, the passengers of Flight 93, United 93; Two, the protagonists of Rogue One; Three, Rutger Hauer, Blade Runner; Four, James Caan, The Godfather; Five, members of the French Resistance movement, L'Armee des Ombres (Army in the Shadows). I'll throw in Gene Hackman in The Poseidon Adventure as an honourable mention

[@Jeffry1794]

So good it made me cry😢

[@samuellamarre9655]

thank you for acknowledging the bravery and will power of my GOAT Boromir! He doesnt get half the love he deserves for what he did and people only care about him falling for the rings tricks.

[@florianbarkowski6856]

Honestly everybody always forgets his role as a leader for his people as well as the advice he gives the hobbits. There are also many scenes where he is the one who cares for them . And above all he sends Aragorn in the films on his journey of becoming king.

[@pHD77]

27:57 yeah, the "Eraser" release is notorious for having laserrot. Many of the discs pressed at Sony's DADC pressing plants in the 90s suffers from laserrot.

[@harryboyes2812]

How could you forget Marcus in the first John Wick movie? Where he basically tells Viggo that he'll die his own way and not Viggo's way.

[@olvialee7221]

198: When I was a teen, I cried so much when Léon died

[@Destiny87]

"The mightiest man may be slain by one arrow... and Boromir was pierced by many."

[@bazzer124]

I think Boromir's death was more about atonement than heroics, ie, dying a noble death more so than a heroic one. Cheers....

[@gilangariowirawan1218]

Harry Stamper still no. 1 in my heart

[@user-nj3lg7wi5r]

Mine is Kyojuro Rengoku.

[@jjkcharlie]

I feel as though Billy's Last Stand, from Predator should've been an honorable mention.

[@Mr.Glidehook]

Yes. But did you get the impression that he was a bit crazy before doing it? He couldn't admit it but he was terrified. Do you think that maybe it was a quit as well, that he had broken?

[@jjkcharlie]

@@Mr.Glidehook prey, kind of explained that. It was a story handed down, he kind of understood what it was. I think it was adressed in the comics also, if i remember correctly. But, to answer your question, no, that never seemed to be the case to me.

[@Truckerdaddy]

​@jjkcharlie I watched Prey and never linked it with Billy. Then again I didn't sit down and actually pay attention to it all. I kind of watched at it. But now that you've said it, I'm gonna go back and watch Prey again. It totally makes sense though

[@JurassicGodzillaFan]

John Miller, Yondu, Spock, Russell Casse, Snape and T-800, favorites.

[@snigdhopal2680]

Bjorn Ironside’s death from VIKINGS is the most heroic death in movies and show history in my opinion. #2 boromir #3 snape #4 maximus #5 logan #6 tony

[@michaelstopher1471]

Damnit. You got me with Leon.

[@TheJmall88]

Darth Vader who sacrificed himself to save his son and bring balance to the force

[@davcharley5001]

The Heroic Deaths that impacted my heart are: 🌟Groot 😥 🌟Yondu 😭 🌟Logan 😭 🌟Ironman 💐 🌟Terminator 😢

[@mikestanley9176]

No Merlin?

[@davcharley5001]

@@mikestanley9176 He's alright,but he didn't impacted my heart hard enough to be on the list

[@TheWickedJuggy]

Sometimes these are 50/50 hit or miss, this time, it was spot on for its number one pick.

[@teorror8729]

To me, one of the most honorable movie moments is in London Has Fallen. While protecting the President, while flying out of London as they're being shot at by stringer missiles and everyone is out of flares. "Marine 2, prepare for sacrifice. Roger." I believe EVERY American President should be protected to the fullest extent possible. This scene just gets me.

[@jonathangamez6714]

That one still gets me at the heartstrings because I know how it feels not to have father someone gandu said he may have been your daddy but you were always my boy that's still gets me😢

[@nikki9125]

While giving his tears to Harry was important, Snape didn’t sacrifice himself. It was just him & Voldemort, who killed Snape because he believed Snape was the true owner of the elder wand. Doby & Dumbledore sacrificed themselves.

[@calebsoria1777]

3:32 John kraken ski performance was perfect

[@royaviles5004]

Oh my God Bing Bong had me bawling...dang it Pixar!

[@samkresil6011]

Leonidas - 300, Hector Barbossa - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Darth Vader - Star Wars Episode 6: Return of the Jedi, Mothra - Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Teresa - The Maze Runner: The Death Cure, Deadpool - Deadpool 2, James Bond - No Time To Die, Neo - The Matrix: Revolutions, Superman - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Dr. Otto Octavias - Spider-Man 2, Harry Osborn - Spider-Man 3, Quicksilver - Avengers: Age of Ultron, Loki - Avengers: Infinity War, Luke Skywalker - Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Caesar - War for the Planet of the Apes, Steve Trevor - Wonder Woman and Jack Dawson - Titanic.

[@qm8967]

Before watching the video, here are my top 5 most heroic deaths. 1) William Wallace in Braveheart 2) Leon in the movie of the same name 3) Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell 4) Mufasa in The Lion King 5) Brad Pitt in Burn after reading 😂

[@badbiker666]

The way I decided which of these is the "most" heroic death, I wanted to try and remember which ones made me cry. Because most of them were so heroic, I cheered rather than wept. After watching the video several times, and remembering how I felt the first time I saw these deaths, there were only two where I wept after they happened. I cried for the sacrifice made by Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and also when Wolverine died at the end of Logan. Both were because they gave up their lives for someone they loved. It was especially hard for me to witness Logan's end, though, because he did it for his "daughter,' and I have two. I 100% understood his willingness to do whatever was necessary to ensure her survival, just as I would do the same for either of my girls.

[@topeogunmakinwa9347]

Ryouta Murakami sacrificing himself to take the blast from Mako Fujisaki( aka Valkyrkia) to protect his childhood friend, Neko Kuroha, from Brynhildr in the Darkness(2014) is one of the best Heroic Deaths in Anime. He is one of the true heroes in the anime series.

[@calebsoria1777]

15:19 that really hit me since we keep thinking that he’s evil. But every time he care

[@placidusaxmckormik1690]

Does anyone recognize Merlin’s voice from somewhere else? That reminds me of Macmillan from the COD MW series. Also, we got Harper here in the form of yondu. Anyone who has played COD black ops 2 knows who Harper is.

[@TheEmperorInferno]

"Hello, boys! I'M BAAAAAAAACK!!!" is easily the most triumphant line in all of cinema. That guy was gonna win in the most fuq you back sorta way, and he KNEW IT.

[@gsmdo8836]

How about Major Heyward, in Last of the Mohicans, redeeming himself by volunteering to be burned alive to save the rest of the party?

[@Huskytabby]

You picked the right number one this time. You did forget to include starship troopers, though.