Let’s face it: we’d all like to imagine we’re tough, but nothing does that faster than a timely death in a movie. You know the ones—the scenes that make you ugly cry and cling to your popcorn and swear never to believe another screenwriter again. Whether it’s a heroic sacrifice, a senseless tragedy, or the death of a cherished animal, these movie gut-punches linger long after the credits finish rolling. Grab your tissues (and perhaps a therapy session), because here are 15 of the saddest movie deaths that continue to haunt our shared nightmares.
10. Aslan in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
Who would have thought a chatty lion could bring us to tears like toddlers? Aslan’s sacrifice in the winter landscape of Narnia is the kind of heroic, Christ-like gesture that has kids and adults crying out for the Kleenex. When he’s killed on the Stone Table, it’s a complete disaster, and even knowing he’ll be restored doesn’t take away from the pain.
9. Bruno and Shmuel in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
If you managed to get through this movie and not cry, I’m positive you’re a robot. The tender friendship between Bruno and Shmuel concludes in a manner that’s as stunning as it is heartbreaking, one that reminds us of the atrocities of history and the helplessness of childhood.
8. Artax in The NeverEnding Story
It’s just a horse, they said. You’ll be fine, they said. Lies! Watching Artax sink into the Swamp of Sadness is a rite of passage for every ‘80s kid. The look on Atreyu’s face as his best friend gives in to despair? That’s the stuff of lifelong emotional scars.
7. Setsuko in Grave of the Fireflies
Studio Ghibli doesn’t pull punches, and Setsuko’s fate is proof. This animated masterpiece delivers one of the most harrowing depictions of war’s toll on children. Setsuko’s slow decline is almost unbearable, and if you’re not sobbing by the end, check your pulse.
6. Leslie in Bridge to Terabithia
You think you’re watching a whimsical coming-of-age story, and then—bam!—Leslie falls to her death, and suddenly you’re questioning the meaning of life. The shock and grief are so raw, it’s impossible not to feel it deep in your bones.
5. Dobby in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
He simply wanted to be an elf-free! Dobby’s death is perhaps the most heart-wrenching moment in the Harry Potter series. Having saved his friends, he’s fallen, leaving audiences everywhere to grieve over a sock-happy hero.
4. Thomas J. in My Girl
Allergies to bees have never been so devastating. Thomas J.’s death is an acting masterclass of manipulation, and Vada’s tearful outburst is the stuff of legend. If you didn’t cry, chances are you didn’t have a childhood.
3. Old Yeller in Old Yeller
The first “dog dies” film, and still the gold standard of heartbreak at the hands of beasts. When Travis is forced to euthanize his faithful friend, it’s a scene that’s been traumatizing generations since 1957.
2. Finnick in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay
Just when you think the bloodshed is done, Finnick is taken out in a merciless, blink-and-you-miss scene. Series fans knew it was going to happen, but that didn’t make it any less painful to watch.
1. Mufasa in The Lion King
Simba’s anguished calls for his father are seared into the mind of anyone who’s ever watched The Lion King. Scar’s treachery, the stampede, the little paw pushed against Mufasa’s dead body—Disney, why do you torment us thus?