Best Sanderson Deaths?

[Nedyah Drallid]

I personally chose Amaram's death. In advance. That death is going to be something special. He'll probably get some form of magic and battle Kaladin and Kaladin will destroy and stomp on his remains. It's going to be beautiful.

 

By the way, Deus ex Machina, literally means God out of the machine. (For the Cosmere we should call it shard ex Machina)

[Radiant Returned he/him]

Love when Sanderson kills off characters, just because you know the writing is great when your heart actually aches with the characters. My top 3 have to be the following

3. Lessie - I know we didn't know Lessie personally, but I don't think my heart has ever hurt as much as when I read the scene of Wax's reaction when he kills her. Beautifully written and so freaking sad.

2. Kelsier - Love the way his death was handled. Kelsier I think is one of Sanderson's best written characters, you immediately root for him in such a short time. Even against all odds I didn't think he would die, he was the bloody protagonist of the series and it was book 1! Sanderson brought out some inner-George Martin with this and I loved it. Make him a martyr, and I think the Secret History was beautifully done. Kelsier isn't "alive" through some cheap write in by the author, he fought and scraped for a half-life and has worked to improve to full life (if he is fully alive) in a way that is super true to the world and character.

3. Vin - Oh my lord. Of any series, I don't think I've seen a better protagonist death than this one. The end of Hero of Ages was perfection. I was sad but Sazed appeases you a little at the end, and Secret History fully heals the wound. Great stuff. 

[Nedyah Drallid]

I also forgot about Tien and Shallan's father. There is a literary technique called helplessness. You know how a story is going to end, but you can't do anything to stop it. In Romeo and Juliet, at the very beginning, it tells you the outcome of the story. Also when you watch Titanic, you know how it's going to end, but there is nothing you can do about it.

 

At the beginnings of their respective books, you knew they were going to die, so every flashback you wonder, is this it? Overall, it leads to a stunning finale.