Top 10 Ways to Know a Movie Character is Going to Die

1. They get a sudden burst of development

   This is more of an occurrence in TV series but happens in long movie franchises, especially to a secondary character. If suddenly they have an entire episode focusing on them or they become a more important character, there is a good chance that they are going to be killed off in the next episode.

   Good observation! And you're right, that's how they give you a clue.

2. They say "I'll hold them off"

   It's frequently the hero who becomes the savior for the innocents being protected from the enemy forces. Sadly, the hero makes the sacrifice for his friends. In the end, he dies. Heroes become remembered for the good deeds and responsibilities they have ever done.

   I've seen movies where a character says that and doesn't die, but yeah, that also gives you an idea that the character could die.

   When this sentence is said, you may as well wave goodbye to that character. They literally know they're gonna die too.

3. They are a huge jerk

   This may not make sense, but get this. If one of the characters antagonizes everyone in the film, it can be safe to say they won't live to the end credits. This can be seen in horror movies the most.

4. They share an emotional moment with other characters

   

   No matter what film it is, if a character shares a really emotional moment with another, one of them ends up terribly injured or dead. It's much more powerful if both the audience and other characters have some sort of emotional connection to them before they die.

   As such, filmmakers tend to kill off a character following an emotional moment, good or bad. This mostly happens after characters reveal their feelings for each other, whenever a feud between at-odds characters comes to an end, or when a so-called "orphan" finally meets their parents.

   This is a great list. You have a great understanding of how movie makers write plots.

5. They redeem themselves

   The cowardly character does this the most. He or she is a huge baby throughout the movie, but halfway through they decide they want to be helpful. After showing impressive skills in combat, they end up dying, normally as they celebrate.

6. They're a soldier

   If the main characters meet someone who has experience involving the situation, that character will live through most of the movie.

7. They're very happy

   If things seem too good to be true, they probably are. After all, what's a movie or TV show without some form of conflict? No one wants to watch a film where everything goes well for the main character and stays that way throughout.

   It may not necessarily be the main character who bites the dust, but rather someone else close to them for whom things have finally started to work out.

8. They have crucial info

   These characters normally die after giving out said information. A character has found out a crucial piece of information that is vital to the success of whatever the main characters in the movie are trying to achieve.

   They then typically try to call the main character to relay this information, but for whatever reason, they are too slow or foolish to hurry up and want to meet in person, which ultimately leads to their death.

9. They make a decision despite knowing the consequences

10. They're on screen when sad music plays

    When sad music plays in Aggretsuko, you know something sad is going to happen. The same goes for movie deaths.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    They have sex

    This isn't a troll entry. Especially in a horror movie, you're pretty much a goner if you fail to maintain chastity.

12. ?

    They say "With great power comes great responsibility"

The Contenders

13. They don't believe the main character

14. They are the villain

15. They're a third wheel

    Also known as the redshirt, this character's sole narrative purpose is to die for the most part. They allow the filmmaker to show how powerful and dangerous the main villain is without having to kill off a major character.

16. They're the old mentor

17. They're retiring from a job

    Nobody retires in movies, especially if they are a cop, pilot, or soldier. Time and time again, we hear characters say that they only have two more weeks until retirement, or that they just need to go on one last mission before they hang up their boots for good. But that turns out to actually be their last mission.

18. They're near a hole

    They take one step back. Happens in comedies.

19. They try to be kind to people

    It usually happens when a character is trying to be nice and doesn't do anything wrong. In comedy movies, they are killed off in some stupid way, and in other movies, they are the person who everyone likes or likes everyone, and the antagonist kills them because he's a bad person.

20. They put their hand on their body and see blood

21. They are a spy

22. They are played by Sean Bean