There are some folks that might tell you that the death of a sidekick in a movie isn’t such a big deal, don’t bother listening to them. Sidekicks might not be the main character, they might not get all the glory, but they’re often there to make sure that the main characters look good and are also there for a number of other reasons. Then there are times when a sidekick is actually a main character that has a lot to do with the story and can affect the turnout of things and how the story will eventually go. But one thing that’s easy to state is that the death of a sidekick in a movie can be unbearably sad since their involvement with the main character(s) tends to come at a price to their health and safety since like it or not, the bad guys aren’t usually too worried about taking out the sidekicks but do eventually come to realize how bad of an idea it is when the main characters are heavily invested in the well-being of their companions/friends. Here are 10 of the most tragic sidekick deaths in movies.
10. Hedwig – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I
Let’s be honest here, a lot of people probably forgot about Hedwig until the bird showed up on the screen now and then, since the familiars didn’t always get a lot of attention unless they were part of the story at that given moment. Hedwig can be said to be a bit of a character though, and it’s easy to see that he went out like a boss protecting his young friend, which makes him more than worth mentioning on this list.
9. Donny – The Big Lebowski
Donny’s death is definitely tragic since he didn’t even participate in this fight and yet he suffered the worst for it since he keeled over from a heart attack soon after. The funny thing about this movie is that Donny is probably the most well-adjusted character as far as anyone knows, and yet he’s often treated the worst and ignored at other times.
8. Ed-Shaun of the Dead
It’s kind of debatable how tragic this death really is since Ed didn’t do a lot to help matters throughout the movie, being that he was the type of guy that was either clueless to the world around him as he was kind of selfish and rude. But yeah, it was tragic that Shaun had to lose his mother and his best friend in the same manner, but it was a bit creepy that he kept Ed in the shed out in the garden after all was said and done.
7. Wilson – Castaway
YES, I put Wilson on this list for a reason, and when it comes to having imaginary friends that you talk to and can carry on a conversation with, a lot of writers should be able to understand this since I refuse to believe I’m the only one that has conversations with inanimate objects now and then. Try going without seeing anyone for years and then see how your psyche handles the solitude. It does make me wonder if Wilson actually sank or was picked up on a beach afterward.
6. Goose – Top Gun
The term ‘occupational hazard’ sounds rather cold and condescending to a lot of people since despite the fact that accidents do happen in the armed forces, and malfunctions can occur, it’s still a way to minimize the loss of a friend and companion. Goose’s death hit a lot of people hard when they first watched this movie, and even today a lot of people can remember how it affected them.
5. Boromir – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Boromir came in acting like a jerk and the last guy you’d want around the ring of power, but he went out like an absolute beast since the fact that he was still fighting with two arrows in his body makes it clear that he didn’t believe in giving up. The third arrow put him out of commission obviously, but up until then he was still slicing and dicing his way through the Uruk-Hai, and he went out fighting, which is the reason it’s easy to give a lot of respect to the character.
4. Rue – The Hunger Games
Rue is another character that absolutely deserves the respect that she was given within the movie since, without her, it’s fair to say that Katniss would have had a much harder time surviving, or she might not have survived at all. The sign of respect that Katniss started with Rue’s people was one of the biggest heartfelt moments in the movie, and I’d gladly argue with anyone that says differently.
3. Bubba – Forrest Gump
To anyone that might still be wondering why Forrest was more broken up over Bubba’s death than he was his own mother’s, let’s put it this way. Forrest’s mother made it clear that she was dying, that it was expected, and that it was normal. The only thing normal about Bubba’s death is that it would have happened eventually at some point in his life, but Forrest was the one who was holding him when it happened, and there’s no doubt that this would leave a tremendous emotional scar.
2. Hudson – Aliens
It was so easy to not like Hudson from the start since he came off as a loudmouth that was all talk and no show. Once the stuff hit the fan he was seen panicking along with everyone else, but once he relaxed and synced up with the rest of the team, those who were left, he was nice and frosty. His death scene is tragic, but it’s worthy of noting since he went out fighting. Call that toxic if you want, but one can either welcome death as an old friend or fight whatever is trying to kill them tooth and nail. Anything else feels like giving up sometimes.
1. Malone – The Untouchables
This was definitely tragic since Malone was a big part of this group in the movie. In real life, this group didn’t exist like this, but in the movie, the Untouchables were a force to be reckoned with, and it was satisfying to see the bad guys finally get their comeuppance, even if it wasn’t how things went down.
Sidekicks deserve a great deal of respect.
Follow Us
