Top 10 Saddest Deaths in Video Games

Spoiler Alert!

This is a selection of the saddest deaths in gaming. Which had you crying the most? Please be sure to include the name of the game in which the death occurs.

The Top Ten

Lee Everett - The Walking Dead Video Game

Lee Everett is the main character of the first season of The Walking Dead video game. He's the player character and appears in all five episodes of the season.
Before the events of the first game, Lee murdered a state senator who was sleeping with his wife. The details of who this senator is are... read more

I know this game is fairly recent, and it's incredibly underrated, but after developing as a character, you know Lee was amazing, who'd do anything to protect the 8-year-old Clementine. So, when he was bitten, I thought that if you cut off the arm, then he wouldn't die (just like Rick Grimes in the comic series). Unfortunately, it didn't work out like that. So, with just you and Clementine, and Lee half-zombified, you have the decision of whether to let Clemmy shoot you or leave you. Either way, it's a deeply saddening scene, in which many YouTubers who played the game cried, like myself. Not bad for the game of the year.

If you played this game and didn't shed at least one tear in this scene, you're a psychopath. Not one single video game has ever made me cry harder than this one. Over the game, I grew to love Lee Everett. He was a likable character, and for most people, Clementine was too. I cried my eyes out after this scene, a thick stream of tears running down my face.
For those of you that don't know, Lee is bitten in the last few minutes of episode four, and in episode five, he has to save Clementine while half-zombified. After he gets Clementine back, he will soon die and turn into a walker. Clementine has to make a difficult decision: either leave Lee to become a zombie or shoot him to end his misery there. No matter what decision you make, this scene is guaranteed to make you cry. It is the saddest death by far.
John Marston - Red Dead Redemption

John Marston is a central character and the main protagonist of Red Dead Redemption and its expansion, Undead Nightmare. He is portrayed by actor Rob Wiethoff. Marston is a former outlaw seeking redemption and a new life for his family in the American frontier.

I remember Red Dead Redemption. It was the game that showed me the world isn't all good, even in video games. After hours upon hours of working for your life back as John Marston, you begin to like him, to sympathize with him. So when government men show up at the Marston ranch, you figure you can gun them down and get out in one piece.
But John knows that it isn't going to happen. He tells his wife and child to leave and turns to accept his fate. This is when you realize that John will die. The impending doom makes it all the more sad as John is shot to death. It's the saddest death in a video game ever.

This game probably has the best story of any video game, the best voice acting, and the best dialogue. The story in this game is way better than in Grand Theft Auto 5. Due to Red Dead's great characterization, it was devastating when John Marston died.
He went from "bad guy" to "good guy" and also to a good father. This was exemplified by all the previous experiences and all that John went through. After he's dead, you're left with his son and wife, but soon after, his wife dies too. After that, you kind of feel really lonely.
Awesome game. It by far has my favorite story.
Soap MacTavish - Modern Warfare 3

I was jumping out of my chair in rage and tears. The man that you have played with and fought with throughout three of the most epic games in history finally bites the proverbial bullet that he should have been killed by in countless battles ago.
Nobody who has ever played this game and witnessed this tragic death will ever forget the reaction that his loyal comrade, mentor, and badass, Capt. Price, had after he watched this hero bleed out on a table in front of his eyes. Soap, you are the epitome of amazing.

The thing that really made it sad for me was how Price reacted. We'd come to know Price as this calm, cool, collected leader, and then when the person you played as for two games died, he broke down. Screaming, voice cracking, barely even flinching when the bullets flew through the window, he really changed in that scene.
Sarah - The Last of Us

Everything from Troy Baker's and Hana Hayes' performances to the visual design, the soundtrack, and the script pulls this scene together perfectly. Joel's mourning had a quietness to it. He doesn't scream or yell. He holds his daughter, pleading, before he breaks out in tears. That simplicity makes this death extremely effective.
Then there's the way she died. She was shot for virtually no reason other than caution and the military not wanting to take any risks. Even the man who pulled the trigger was extremely reluctant to do so. Joel gets up after Tommy shoots the soldier, and they hear sobbing. They, and by extension, we know exactly what it is. Sarah is in more pain than a lot of us can imagine.
A lot of characters who get shot either survive or die strong, with no tears, maybe a grunt here or there. But Sarah is a child, and we are reminded of that fact when we hear her sobbing. And when everything goes quiet, we can't help but weep with Joel. It's easily one of the most heartbreaking deaths in video game history.
Ghost - Modern Warfare 2

It's been a while since I played the game, but he was with you the whole time, covering you, saving your life. Then we get to that helicopter and I get shot. My face was full of hatred and betrayal. Funny thing is, though, Ghost reacted like 3 seconds later. I think he could've moved a bit faster than that. I freaked out when the gasoline was poured on me. Killing Shepard was my only priority after that.

No words to say... It made me speechless... Whenever I recollect the last scene from this game, it's very emotional. It shows us the truth of life. It teaches great values, like never giving up, even if the situations are against you. You can't run from it. If you have to live, you have to fight!
Dominic Santiago - Gears of War 3

The fact that Soap ranks higher than Dom on this list confuses me. I don't know anyone who cried when Soap died. I don't even know anyone who cried when John Marston died. My best friend still gets sad when you mention Dom in Gears of War. He had to stop playing when Dom died because he started crying. John died because he was a criminal. Soap died because he was betrayed. Dom, on the other hand, died as a soldier tired of fighting an endless war. He saw no end in sight and had no reason left to continue fighting after his wife's death. So, Dom sacrificed himself in the hope that maybe his best friend could make it out alive.
Aerith - Final Fantasy VII

The thing about Aerith's death in Final Fantasy VII is that you know it's coming, so you make sure to use Aerith and interact with her as much as you can before she dies. Then, when the time comes, despite knowing it's coming, it's absolutely heartbreaking because you spent so much time with her.
Complete with a gut-wrenching stab right through her torso and the emotional "Aerith's Theme" playing in the background, you have the saddest video game death ever.

"This can't be real!"
"Aeris will no longer talk, no longer laugh, cry, or get angry."
There were some extremely long, epic games, but the masterpiece that FF7 is gives you the ability to attach to characters and then rips it away, just as death is actually experienced. Aeris' childhood, her time with Cloud, Cloud's reaction, Sephiroth's smug face, and your hatred for him are all integral.
This is all followed up by the most lackadaisical boss fights I've ever limped through. Watching this sequence brings back that feeling I once had.
Claus - Mother 3

Mother 3 has a lesson to tell and does so in the most sorrowful way possible. It's not so much the deaths themselves, but the meaning surrounding them. Flint's reaction to Hinawa's death is sure to wrench at your gut. And if you battle your way to the very end, you're greeted with an incredibly climactic and emotional battle with your own brother.
The developer was clearly relentless because even after the longest battle in the game, your brother still ends up dead, and you're faced with a decision to either give the world fresh life or simply end it. Then the world ends. Do you really want to know why Mother 3 isn't available in English? The translators couldn't see the text through their own tears.
Joker - Batman: Arkham City

When I saw Joker die, I wasn't in tears exactly. I was in more than tears. I was in pain at the sight of seeing one of the best villains in history dying, and that night I couldn't sleep at all. Seeing my favorite villain die, I wanted to cry that night, but I guess it was just the shock.

I have known Joker since the first time he was publicly shown as the "Crown Prince of Crime," and I never really expected him to die. But still, him, of all people, is going to be the one I'll remember to look out for when you're about to laugh.
Noble 6 - Halo Reach

No video game scene has ever made me cry. But this came closest. When I began Halo Reach, I assumed it would end with the Covenant retreating and Reach surviving. But when I saw Noble 5 die, and the Covenant armada come out of slipspace, I knew it was the beginning of the end. And then death after death occurred.
Then I played Pillar of Autumn. When Noble 6 stayed behind, I could not prepare myself for what came next. Lone Wolf. The first cutscene, Reach in ruins, the Covenant everywhere, and Noble 6 looking out over everything. I could not finish the game the first time. "Spartans never die, they are just missing in action."

After seeing the rest of your squad go down, you're left all alone on the desolate surface of Reach as the Covenant burn all around you. What makes this death particularly sad is the fact that the game lets you customize Noble 6 to really let you become the character.
In the end, you're left to die all alone. There's no escape, no cavalry, no happy ending. Just a silver lining that you're too dead to enjoy.

The Newcomers

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Bobby the Bob-Omb - Paper Mario: The Origami King

This was very sad. He remembered his memories only to sacrifice himself to save Olivia.
He was your partner throughout the second streamer area and was a great character. RIP Bobby.
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Gundham Tanaka - Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

The Contenders

Mordin Solus - Mass Effect 3

The scene where he died is just gut-wrenching. As he hums, shielding himself from the explosions, the slight smile he gets when he finishes the fix and releases the cure, then a look of sadness that passes over him right before he dies, and then the peace and tranquility of the cure falling over Tuchanka. Just such a perfect scene to make things get a little misty.

You got so attached to Mordin by playing ME2, and he gave his life as an act of heroism to make amends for his mistake, as he finally realizes the Genophage was wrong. He was one of the best characters in Mass Effect, and I think it's safe to say that whoever played this at heart shed a couple of tears when this guy died.
Piers Nivans - Resident Evil 6

Piers Nivans was supposed to take over for Chris as the leader. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. Out of the selflessness of his heart, he allowed Chris to escape, choosing to remain behind. R.I.P Piers.

Piers is about to kill himself for Chris's life, and all Chris wants to do is scream at Piers.

Saddest scene in the whole Resident Evil series. I cried a lot. Piers's sacrifice for Chris...
Arthur Morgan - Red Dead Redemption 2

Arthur Morgan is the central character and main protagonist of Red Dead Redemption 2. He is portrayed by Roger Clark. Arthur is a senior member of the Van der Linde gang and plays a critical role in the game's storyline, which is set in the late 19th-century American frontier.

Man, oh man. I don't think I've cried so hard from a fictional death. Spending 70+ hours as this guy, doing right when it mattered, committing crimes to supply his "family" with the essentials, all of which is thrown away in the end.
In the beginning of Red Dead Redemption 2, we see him as a seemingly disgruntled, uncaring, unlovable outlaw, which is far from the truth. Over the course of the game and several deaths of those close to him, we see that he's looking out for literally everyone in the gang. Maybe not Micah, but whatever.
Eventually, he reaches a crossroads in his life. Does he wish to pursue this lifestyle or make the best of the time he has left, borrowed time that is? As it's revealed, he contracted TB from a poor, indebted but pure-hearted man. The diagnosis is the final push that motivates him to become a better man.
Arthur comes to realize that the gang's dissolution is inevitable and attempts to free others from the burden of being in the gang.
Despite all his good intentions, he faces his untimely demise, either succumbing to his ailment or at a certain scumbag's hand. Although this gives a certain protagonist time to flee and begin anew.
With all the sacrifices made by other members, premature deaths, and honorable deeds done by Arthur, his fate was sealed from the beginning.
The hardest-hitting part is that every good-intentioned act couldn't save him from death. Knowing that Arthur could've prevented a lot of deaths of beloved gang members if he had let one person hang, thus saving the folks he had perceived as his family in the long run.
Zack Fair - Crisis Core

Zack Fair is a fictional character first introduced as a non-player character in the 1997 role-playing video game Final Fantasy VII by Square Enix. He was later developed as the protagonist of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, which is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII metaseries. Zack plays... read more

For several years, I refused to look at the game because I already knew what was going to happen, as I had played the original since I was a kid. Eventually, I gave in and watched the walkthroughs on YouTube. Seeing how great Zack's personality was made me feel sad just looking at him, and I dreaded the ending more than I had earlier.
And then the ending came. I cried, and still cry just thinking about it. I first saw it about five years ago, and I was finally able to get the game earlier this year. But I stopped once I got to Aerith's church because I felt like I was going through everything too fast. The ending is drawing near once again, and the further I go, the heavier the weight in my chest becomes.
Tidus - Final Fantasy X

Tidus is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy X, a role-playing video game developed by Square Enix and released in 2001. He is a professional Blitzball player from Zanarkand who is transported to the world of Spira after an attack by a mysterious force called Sin. His journey involves helping the summoner... read more

Final Fantasy X is the only game to have ever made me cry. Tidus had gone from being some angsty, cocky, spoiled celebrity to someone who gave up his life for the greater good. I had developed an emotional bond with him. I had seen him transform into the man he became, and when I saw him disappear, I couldn't help but cry.
Jack - BioShock

But he didn't die... except in the ending where all the Little Sisters you bring to the surface are all at your deathbed.
The Boss - Metal Gear Solid 3

I have never felt worse about killing a character in a video game. The strength of the relationship between Snake and The Boss is discussed constantly throughout the game, a combination of a relationship between two comrades, and a (figurative) mother and son.
The fact that the game forces you to pull the trigger yourself when she's lying on the ground, almost comforting Snake, makes it worse. Even before the final twist, which makes the gut punch even worse, it would still top the list.

I admit, Big Boss's death is sad, but he died normally. Well, almost normally, because of that virus. But I think in the original MGS3, you were forced to shoot The Boss. At the end of MGS3 HD, it was kind of like Fox's death. I couldn't shoot her. In fact, her death is one of the few that made me tear up. She was a true patriot, even though she is considered a traitor and a monster.
Kenny - The Walking Dead

Duck was kind of annoying, but he was way too young, and he died in a lot of pain from the walker bite.

Kenny should have been the second saddest. I bawled when he went missing from Lee.
Lunafreya Nox Fleuret - Final Fantasy XV
Papyrus - Undertale

Papyrus is a character from the 2015 game Undertale, created by Toby Fox. He is the younger brother of Sans the Skeleton, a Royal Guard in training, and a sentry in the town of Snowdin. Unlike his brother, Papyrus is energetic, loud, and somewhat full of himself, but in an endearing and earnest way.... read more

Not really a sad death if you go the Genocide route, but it is sad to see how he believed in you until his very end.

Well, that's not what I expected, but you can do a little better! I believe in you!

Even if you kill him, he STILL believes in you.
Agro - Shadow of the Colossus

The deaths on this list are so sad because, by the end, you really begin to love the characters. However, I had to choose Agro, who made me cry. The scene is set with a calm 10-minute journey. A huge gate opens with your sword, and then you're powerless and completely unprepared for what happens next. When you realize what's occurring, beautiful, sad music plays. This horse, who always wanted to help, now motivates you to continue. But it's no longer just for your girl. It's for your horse.
You feel as though nothing is left of your hero's soul after this. Agro was your only companion and friend, the one who kept you from losing your mind. And then he is gone. Now, as you look up at the last Colossus, there's only one thought: He will pay for this.
Detective David Tapp - Saw: The Video Game
Roxas - Kingdom Hearts 2

Imagine you're living your life, trying to find your place in the world and doing so many things to accomplish that, and then you're told that you shouldn't even exist. That's what happened to Roxas. He wanted to be alive and have a life of his own, but he wasn't supposed to exist. That's just wow.

Roxas is a person in between the very thin line between happiness and sadness. He is used and keeps telling everyone, "I am me! Nobody else!" He finally accepts his fate and reunites with Sora. Plus, why the heck did he have to go? He is a badass when it comes to dual-wielding Keyblades.
Commander Shepard - Mass Effect 3

Commander Shepard is the player character in BioWare's Mass Effect game series: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3.
Depending on the player's actions, Commander Shepard can be regarded as either a Renegade or Paragon type of hero. Their gender is also determined by the player, with... read more

He/she has the saddest death ever. Not just because Shepard was dead, but because I would never find out if they ever got to have little blue children with Liara. Putting in well over 100 hours with all these characters made the story seem real, and with Shepard's death, it was over.
Watching Shepard sacrifice himself, while in his last moments thinking of all the people near to him, just gave me so many feels.

After playing through countless hours across three games, you become Commander Shepard. When he dies, a part of you dies with him (or her). This is the only time I have ever come close to crying at the end of a game. This is way too low on the charts, number one in my mind.
Luis Sera - Resident Evil 4

Even though he didn't appear that much, he was still an important character, and his sudden death was so unexpected that it brought tears to my eyes.

I posted this when it was below 106. Now I found it at 37 when I came back to this site. Thank you, fans of Resident Evil 4, and welcome.

He and Leon were best friends, and unfortunately, he had to say goodbye to him.