Character Deaths

I was sitting up at 3:15 a.m last night, reading Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice.

Crying.

They killed off my favourite character.

It was like losing a friend. Someone I had grown to love through years of reading. I first picked up a Star Wars novel in Year Nine, and I have spent seven years with this character, watching her grow from an Imperial assassin to a Jedi Master.

Thus, I have compiled a list of Most HeartBreaking Character Deaths (not in any particular order).

1. Mara Jade Skywalker (Legacy of the Force- Sacrifice)

From the moment they showed her on the cover I knew that there was a fair chance she wouldn't make it out of the book alive.

The image of a fourteen year-old Ben Skywalker finding his mother's body and watching guard over her, all alone...I kept flipping back the pages and sniffling all over again. Also, she was killed by her own nephew, the eldest son of Han Solo and Princess Leia. Jacen Solo (whoops, now he's now known as Darth Caedus) must DIE.

2. Tonks and Lupin (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)

When I first read the much anticipated final Potter book (for which I queued up for an hour on the launch morning to get my free plush owl) I didn't really give a toss that Colin Creevey had kicked the proverbial magical bucket, or even that Fred Weasley had died...my heart broke when Harry caught sight of the bodies of Tonks and Lupin lying still in the Great Hall.

I was in mourning for days.

They were, without a doubt, my favourite couple from the Harry Potter series. And they both died when their son was only a few weeks old.

*Wails in anguish*

Hadn't the werewolf SUFFERED ENOUGH?!

3. Beth March (Good Wives)

So you thought that Little Women ended happily ever, did you?

WRONG.

If you've seen the movie, then you probably already know that Beth dies. If you've read the book, then you know that Beth dies quietly in the most heartbreaking way possible- in her mother's arms. *Sniffles*

4. Judy (Seven Little Australian)

Judy's death in Seven Little Australians was the most heart-wrenching, soul crushing death I've ever read. That is the only book in which I can remember being in a paroxysm of literary grief, almost howling over the book with a box of trusty Kleenex under the bedcovers. (For those who haven't read it, Judy is crushed by a gum tree when she leaps out to protect her little brother. Interestingly enough, if you would like to read the entire text after I have just spoiled the entire book for you, it is available free at http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/4731

This is the excerpt of Judy's death:

"If it's all gold and diamonds, I don't want to go!" The child was crying now. "Oh, Meg, I want to be alive! How'd you like to die, Meg, when you're only thirteen? Think how lonely I'll be without you all. Oh, Meg! Oh, Pip, Pip! Oh, Baby! Nell!"

...

"Oh! and Judy, dear, we are forgetting; there's Mother, Judy, dear--you won't be lonely! Can't you remember Mother's eyes, little Judy?" Judy grew quiet, and still more quiet. She shut her eyes so she could not see the gathering shadows. Meg's arms were round her, Meg's cheek was on her brow, Nell was holding her hands, Baby her feet, Bunty's lips were on her hair. Like that they went with her right to the Great Valley, where there are no lights even for stumbling, childish feet.
The shadows were cold, and smote upon their hearts; they could feel the wind from the strange waters on their brows; but only she who was about to cross heard the low lapping of the waves. Just as her feet touched the water there was a figure in the doorway.

"Judy!" said a wild voice; and Pip brushed them aside and fell down beside her. "Judy, Judy, JUDY!"

The light flickered back in her eyes. She kissed him with pale lips once, twice; she gave him both her hands, and her last smile. Then the wind blew over them all, and, with a little shudder, she slipped away.

5. Mustafa (The Lion King)

Thank you, Disney, for mentally scarring my childhood.

I hope you know the emotional damage you did to this seven year-old child, watching Simba's father being trampled to death by a herd of animals at a Year One sleepover at school.

6. Padme Amidala (Revenge of the Sith)

I cried when I read Matthew Stover's incredible novelisation (this was not just any run-of-the-mill novelisation, this was absolutely brilliant. Seriously.) I liked the film too, but the book was really heartbreaking.

I know you're going, "Yeah, but of course you'd say that, you Star Wars freak..." but seriously, it was a good novel- whether you liked Star Wars, or just watched it to perve on Hayden Christensen.

7. Rachel (Animorphs #54)

I was obsessed with Animorphs as a kid. Absolutely obsessed. (My cousin Judith will attest to this.) It was my first soft introduction to science fiction. After about number #37, the series grew progressively worse until it finally finished at #54...and they killed off one of my favourite characters, Rachel.

After she demorphs (reverts back to human form), she is completely surrounded on an enemy ship. She tells Tobias, "I love you," over a viewscreen before the Yeerks kill her. And Tobias becomes a loner for the rest of his life, living alone as a red-tailed hawk.

I'm being serious here.

8. Rose (Doctor Who)

This wasn't actually a character death, but Rose describes it as such.

Trapped in a parallel universe away from the Doctor, he burns up a sun just to say goodbye. As she tells him, "I love you," the energy sustaining the link burns out, dissolving his image and leaving her alone, with the Doctor crying for her in the TARDIS.

I was heartbroken. I can't even watch the third series of Doctor Who with much enjoyment now.



As for the most AntiClimatic Character Death...

Romeo and Juliet.

This has to be the stupidest and most baffling sequence of events ever. Not to mention that both kids decided to top themselves within five minutes of each other (although granted, Juliet did check that Romeo was dead first). I tutored on this subject and all I could spit out was how stupid the two protagonists were and how equally stupid and irresponsible Friar Lawrence was and how this was a ridiculous play about the idiocies of teenage attraction.

Come to think of it, they never called me back for tuition. I wonder why.

Although you must think I'm a sentimental twit by now, I'm not. I challenge you to read these books in their entirety and not get all teary.

(Please also note that it is 12:39 a.m and I've been writing this for the past hour to distract myself from the very large English essay that is due on Monday.)

So what have been your most heartbreaking character deaths? Have you ever read something that just made you want to scream in frustration or have a hysterical fit? (There is a comments box below if you wish to contribute)