Top 10 Most Brutal and Gruesome Deaths in Video Games

Getting totally destroyed in games isn’t exactly a fresh idea, but sometimes, a game pops up that just blows our minds by showing characters’ final moments in super vivid and shocking detail. Games these days are getting pretty wild, with death scenes becoming more and more realistic and insanely creative, stretching what we thought was possible and sometimes making us squirm a bit.

These are the most brutal, permanent deaths in games. We're talking about the absolutely crazy levels of doom here, the kinds of game overs that stick with you long after you've hit the power button. These moments are so extreme they’ll definitely leave an impression and have you thinking about them for days.
The Top Ten
1 Leon Kuwata - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Leon experiences a horrifying execution by Monokuma after being convicted of murder. He is tied to a post and pelted to death by numerous baseballs fired from pitching machines, reflecting his background as a baseball player.

Poor Leon. This is the most undeserving execution in the game. He killed someone because he was attacked by said person. (I'm not going to reveal who he killed/who attacked him, as it might spoil it for those who haven't finished Chapter 1 or haven't played the game, or at least watched the anime.)

His death is nicknamed "The 1,000 Blows." Leon is tied up to a baseball scoreboard. A baseball machine pointing in his direction starts up, and after about 900-1,000 baseballs, a baseball player appears and throws a couple more baseballs at him. He then dies. It isn't quick, either.

2 Hammond - Dead Space Hammond meets his end violently at the claws of a Necromorph after a prolonged struggle for survival. The encounter is gruesome and depicts the brutal reality of the game’s hostile environment.

Dead Space is an extremely violent survival-horror game, so anyone's death would qualify. However, Hammond is pounded by an Enhanced Brute. Hearing him scream while being beaten by the creature adds a sense of fear. It makes you think, "What?! That just happened?! And he's still screaming after being beaten by that creature?!" Yeah, something like that.

3 Helios - God of War III In a brutal confrontation with Kratos, Helios has his head forcibly removed as a method of execution. The gruesome act is depicted with detailed and visceral visuals, underscoring the game’s mature and graphic nature.

Any other god's death would have been good enough for this list. But Helios is given the special treatment. He has his head ripped apart from his body by Kratos' hands. It is slow, bloody, and brutal. I don't ever want to tick Kratos off.

4 Dr. Trager - Outlast Dr. Trager is killed gruesomely when he is trapped and crushed between elevator doors. His disturbingly enthusiastic pursuit of the protagonist concludes in a chillingly violent scene.

In this part of Outlast, Miles starts an elevator. As Trager tries to catch Miles, he is pushed back into the moving elevator going upwards, where he then gets crushed to death. Ugh.

5 David - The Last of Us In a tense and horrifying confrontation, David is violently beaten to death by Ellie with a machete. The savage and relentless nature of his death highlights the game’s exploration of human brutality.

This guy's death is a brutal one indeed. After Ellie is pushed down and choked by David, Ellie grabs a nearby machete, swinging at David and cuts his face open. Dang. And I thought the zombies had it bad.

6 Adam Shepherd - Silent Hill: Homecoming Adam meets his grim fate through a gruesome and torturous execution. His harrowing death sequence maintains the series’ tradition of disturbing and graphic imagery.

Pyramid Head can deliver some pretty brutal deaths. Adam has his hands tied up, literally, to two different poles. After a conversation with Alex (the protagonist), Pyramid Head, the party pooper, appears. He then decapitates Adam and rips his body in half vertically. Dear God.

7 Andrew Ryan - BioShock Andrew Ryan faces a violent end, being bludgeoned to death with a golf club by the protagonist. His philosophical monologue preceding his grim demise adds to the game’s atmospheric and narrative depth.

Andrew gave us one of the best plot twists in gaming. However, Andrew has Jack kill him with his famous "Would you kindly" phrase. Jack then proceeds to hit Andrew in the head with Andrew's golf club. The end result is both priceless and disgusting.

8 Nagito Komaeda - Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Nagito undergoes a harrowing and elaborate execution involving a combination of poison, stabbing, and a gunshot, ultimately leading to his death. The intricate and violent nature of his demise is indicative of the game’s dark themes.

He mutilated his own body, slashing his thighs, stabbing his own hand, and had to stay in that excruciating state for an unknown period, holding the spear with one hand to prevent it from impaling his body too early. Who knows how much effort and energy it took enduring all that pain. Moreover, what killed him wasn't even confirmed. It could have been the poison, or the spear impaling him, or maybe both. Either way, his death was one of the more gruesome and painful deaths I've seen in the game.

9 Vladimir Makarov - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Makarov dies a brutal death after being hanged with a cable by Captain Price. The vivid depiction of his execution is a culmination of the game’s intense and violent narrative.

Captain Price and Yuri attack Makarov in his hideout. Yuri is killed by Makarov. Price beats Makarov in the face, then ties a cord around his neck and breaks the glass roof under them. Makarov is hanged, while Price is hurt - a small "Price" (see what I did there?) for the greater good of mankind.

10 Undyne - Undertale Undyne experiences a brutal death in the Genocide route, melting away while demonstrating her resilience and determination. Her tragic demise reflects the game’s ability to evoke strong emotional responses.

Her body was shattered into two, and, not to mention, it begins to fall slowly when she says her last words.

The Contenders
11 Hoyt Volker - Far Cry 3 Hoyt is killed in a hallucinatory sequence, suffering multiple stabbings by Jason Brody. His brutal demise is rendered in vivid detail, reflective of the game’s mature and gritty themes.

Your character, Jason Brody, has spent hours playing and dealing with enemies to kill this S-O-B. Using two knives, Jason then proceeds to impale Hoyt in the neck, using the other knife for the brain before Hoyt collapses, dead.

12 Benjamin Carmine - Gears of War 2 Benjamin Carmine suffers a gruesome fate, being consumed by a Riftworm from the inside. The vivid and graphic depiction of his death contributes to the intense and brutal atmosphere of the game.

Carmine is a cursed name. Benjamin collapses out of the helicopter that the D.E.L.T.A Squad was riding in while they were being swallowed by a giant Riftworm. Inside the belly of the beast, Benjamin’s stomach has been chewed out by parasites. (Willy Wonka) Ew.

13 Sans - Undertale Sans succumbs after a ruthless and challenging battle, suffering fatal wounds and bleeding out. His death is emotionally impactful, adding to the game's moral and emotional complexity.

It was somewhat brutal, particularly in a psychological way. Imagine the only thing keeping you going is your brother, and then he gets killed. He was fighting for so long and so hard, only to eventually get killed in the long run.

14 The Purple Guy - Five Nights at Freddy's 3 The Purple Guy meets his horrific end when he is crushed inside a Springtrap suit, with the sharp endoskeleton piercing his body. The graphic and gruesome nature of his death adds to the horror elements of the game.
15 Flowey - Undertale (Genocide Route) Flowey is remorselessly killed by the protagonist, cut down without any chance of mercy. His brutal demise contrasts with other routes and emphasizes the moral choices inherent in the game.
16 Mileena - Mortal Kombat X Mileena experiences a gruesome death, being fed her own sai before being devoured by a Tarkatan. Her death scene is explicit and gory, synonymous with the game's trademark fatalities.
17 The Protagonist - Waxworks In Waxworks, the protagonist can face multiple horrific deaths, each depicting a variety of gruesome and macabre fates. Each death scene is graphically detailed, adding to the game’s horror ambiance.

That should be in my "Most Brutal, Gruesome Ways to Die in Video Games" list. I agree, though - the deaths are quite gruesome and brutal.

The death screens in this game can be pretty graphic and detailed if you die.

18 The Child - Five Nights at Freddy's 4 The Child, in a harrowing event, is subjected to a fatal bite by an animatronic character. The disturbing scene is sudden and shocking, intensifying the game’s horror experience.
19 Alphys Neo - Undertale Alphys Neo faces her brutal end in a battle against the player. Her defeat, part of the game’s darker narrative paths, reinforces Undertale's thematic exploration of choice and consequence.
20 Crocomire - Super Metroid Crocomire meets its end in a gruesome manner, falling into a pit of acid and losing its flesh, leaving only its skeleton. The vivid depiction of its demise adds a horror element to the action-packed game.
21 Boris the Wolf - Bendy and the Ink Machine Boris meets a violent and graphic demise at the hands of the Ink Demon, who converts him into a monstrous version of himself. His transformation and subsequent death intensify the horror elements prevalent throughout the game.
22 Sayori - Doki Doki Literature Club! Sayori’s haunting and tragic demise comes by suicide, hanging, a shocking twist in the visual novel. The sudden and graphic portrayal of her death contributes to the game's disturbing and psychological horror elements.
23 Yuri - Doki Doki Literature Club! Yuri’s end is equally disturbing, meeting her demise through a harrowing and graphic act of self-harm, which players are forced to witness. The depiction of her death enhances the game’s unsettling and emotionally charged atmosphere.
24 Tsunderplane - Undertale Tsunderplane, in Undertale, can be defeated in a battle, exploding in a dramatic manner. This demise, while more comical and less graphic, still adheres to the game’s exploration of morality and choice.
25 General Shepherd - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 General Shepherd is killed by Soap, who throws a knife into his eye after a brutal and intense confrontation. The graphic detail and intensity of Shepherd’s death underscore the game’s themes of betrayal and violence.
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