Tony Stark's sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame was meant to bring his story to an emotional conclusion, but it didn't make it any easier for fans to accept. Iron Man had been at the center of the MCU for more than a decade, so his death was especially painful for many. Some argued it was a just and peaceful end to his character arc, while others thought his passing would leave a massive hole to fill in the MCU. | © Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Duke's death in G.I. Joe: Retaliation was a surprising decision because Channing Tatum's character had been the lead of the previous G.I. Joe movie. Duke is killed during the opening attack on the Joes, and the sequel quickly shifted focus to other characters. The unexpected decision to eliminate the franchise's apparent protagonist left many viewers wondering why Tatum's character had been brought back at all. | © Paramount Pictures
Zara's death in Jurassic World became one of the movie's most talked-about moments, largely because of how unusually brutal and prolonged it was. While trying to escape the chaos at the park, she is grabbed by a Pteranodon, dropped into the water, and then eaten by a giant Mosasaurus. The fact that Zara was barely a supporting character made the lengthy death scene feel especially excessive to many viewers, with some fans questioning why the movie devoted so much time to her demise. | © Universal Pictures
Finnick Odair had become one of the most popular characters in The Hunger Games series, so when he was killed during the assault on the Capitol in Mockingjay – Part 2, it was met with plenty of controversy. The suddenness of it all was surprising for many, given that Finnick had survived two Hunger Games arenas before. Many fans felt that such an important character deserved a more substantial final moment. | © Lionsgate Films
Mako Mori's death in Pacific Rim: Uprising frustrated many fans who had grown attached to the character in the original Pacific Rim. After becoming a leader in the Jaeger program, Mako is killed when a falling piece of debris strikes her helicopter. Some viewers felt the decision was unnecessary given how important her character was in the story and how little opportunity the sequel gave her to continue developing. | © Legendary Pictures/Universal Pictures
Killing Superman at the end of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was always going to be a risky decision. The character had only appeared in one previous movie in the modern DC universe, and some viewers felt his death came far too early. Others also questioned whether the character's death would have much impact when his eventual return was already heavily expected. | © DC Entertainment/Warner Bros. Pictures
Pietro Maximoff's death was controversial because the character had only just been introduced to the MCU. After spending much of Avengers: Age of Ultron establishing Quicksilver's abilities, killing him during the final battle left some viewers feeling that his potential had been wasted. The character's long-standing presence in the comic books also made his relatively short lifespan in the films surprising. | © Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Billy Costigan spends much of The Departed desperately trying to expose the mole inside the Massachusetts State Police, only to be abruptly shot just as he appears to be getting close to safety. The unexpected death was shocking because Leonardo DiCaprio's character seemed to be the film's central protagonist. His demise remains one of the movie's most memorable twists. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Glass killed off David Dunn in quite a lacklustre manner. Bruce Willis' character, otherwise known as The Overseer, is supposed to be a superhuman with enhanced strength and durability. Yet, in the 2019 film, he was simply drowned in a shallow puddle by one of the film's henchmen. It was easily a point of division among audience members, who all believed that such an abrupt and anticlimactic death was a disappointing ending for a major character in M. Night Shyamalan's trilogy. | © Blumhouse Productions/Universal Pictures
Hoban "Wash" Washburne's death in Serenity remains infamous for several reasons. The character was beloved for his humor and relationship with Zoe, making his sudden, brutal death especially unbelievable. What made the scene even more frustrating was how quickly it happened. It left audiences with virtually no warning before one of the movie's most important characters was killed. | © Universal Pictures/Barry Mendel Productions
Killing Mystique early in Dark Phoenix was a major surprise, especially since she was such a beloved character in the X-Men franchise. Mystique's death at the hands of Jean Grey was intended to establish the seriousness of Jean's growing powers. However, it wasn't well-received by fans, as they thought it was a cheap plot device. It also didn't help that Mystique's passing was somewhat spoiled by one of the trailers shared shortly before the film's release. | © Marvel Entertainment/20th Century Fox
Luke Skywalker's death in Star Wars: The Last Jedi was extremely controversial for several reasons. A major one was that fans had waited decades to see the legendary Jedi return. Although his final stand against the First Order was admirable and celebrated by some viewers, others disliked how his story ended. The divided reaction became part of the much larger controversy surrounding The Last Jedi and the rest of the sequel trilogy. | © Lucasfilm Ltd./Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
The death of Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was devastating for fans who had followed the character throughout the franchise. His fall from the Astronomy Tower represented a major turning point, as it left Harry without his mentor heading into the final chapter. The fact that Snape appeared to be responsible also fueled intense debate before the final movie revealed the full story. | © Warner Bros. Pictures/Heyday Films
Han Solo's death at the hands of his own son, Kylo Ren, was one of the biggest shocks in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. While the scene was praised for its emotional weight, many were upset, to say the least, to see one of the original trilogy's most beloved characters killed off in such a twisted fashion. The decision also sparked plenty of debate over whether Han deserved a more heroic ending. | © Lucasfilm Ltd./Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
One of the most debated movie deaths remains Jack Dawson's unfortunate demise in Titanic. Even after all these years, people continue to argue over whether there was enough space on the floating debris for both Jack and Rose. The debate got so heated that director James Cameron actually commissioned a study to prove whether Jack could have survived, and it concluded that "only one could survive." | © Paramount Pictures/20th Century Fox
Deaths can sometimes be one of the most memorable moments in a film, but not every character exit is met with applause. Sometimes audiences become deeply attached to a character, only to see them killed off in a way that feels shocking, unnecessary, or downright frustrating. That said, here are 15 character deaths in movies that were met with some criticism.
