Most epic deaths in fantasy fiction?

[Zmaray he/him]

Fingolfin from the Silmarillion is my favourite and Feanor was pretty cool too. Boromir's was heartbreaking (although it was better in the movie). Kelsier's was epic purely due to the fact that he showed no fear at all when facing off against the Lord Ruler.

[ryshadium90]

I'm kind of thinking of Durza's in the Inheritance Cycle mainly because he could only be killed by being stabbed through the heart. Wasn't exactly epic in writing but more in the context. 

[Briar King]

Should probably do tags on each posts in case people have yet to read said deaths... would kinda ruin things.

mine is Malazan bk 7

Beak

[Stampede he/him]

It's definitely more sci-fi than fantasy but it came to mind right away. It's from Halo: Ghost of Onyx.

Spoiler

Kurt-051 at the end of the book when he sacrfices himself

 

[Toaster Retribution he/him]

Mistborn:

Spoiler

Kelsier. I am hope.

 

ASoIaF:

Spoiler

The Red Wedding, and also Oberyn Martell.

 

Harry Potter:

Spoiler

Snape :-(

Also, for fun, the Warcraft movie:

Spoiler

Blackhand, because of how easily Lothar killed him. One of my favorite movie duels.

 

[Faceless Mist-Wraith he/him]

Bartimaeus Trilogy:

Spoiler

Nathaniel sacrificing himself.

Furies of Calderon series:

Spoiler

Gaius Sextus.

 

[Julio]

Verin Mathwin. Jain Farstrider. Fingolfin.

And, of course, (WoT. Again.)

Spoiler

The Keeper of the Seals, the Flame of Tar Valon, the Amyrlin seat, Egwene Trakand

 

Edited August 21, 2017 by Julio

[Ammanas]

There are so many, but I thing the following character from Abraham's Dagger and Coin series really went out in style.

Spoiler

Sir Geder Palliako

I also thought the following characters in malazan and a epic exit. 

Spoiler

Stormy and Gesler

Also from Paul Kearney's criminally under read Monarchies of God series

Spoiler

Corfe

 

[Iarwainiel I she/her]

Not sure why I can't give an up-vote/rep point to the OP here -- you deserve it for this great toopic!

I also thought of Fingolfin and Feanor, and Beren too. I'd say Earendil as well, but he kind of didn't die, per se.

How about King Arthur, in almost any telling of that myth?

Agree with @Toaster Retribution re: Harry Potter. Other deaths were tragic too, but maybe not "epic" since they occurred off-stage.

(Spoiler tags are not working for me right now, so I've removed part of this post.)

Edited August 24, 2017 by old aggie
spoiler tags not working so I removed that part of my post

[Ammanas]

@old aggie It looks like you tried to put a spoiler tag, but it isn't working and I can see your answers without clicking. That, along with the inability to give reps, makes two things I have never seen on the shard before on this thread.

 

[Iarwainiel I she/her]

Just now, Ammanas said:

@old aggie It looks like you tried to put a spoiler tag, but it isn't working and I can see your answers without clicking. That, along with the inability to give reps, makes two things I have never seen on the shard before on this thread.

 

Thanks! I just saw that after trying to post. I tried logging off, thinking it was just showing different for me since they were my own spoiler tags. But not.

This is a great thread - I'll try to come back and re-add my people when it's working right.

(Forums are probably overloaded re: Oathbinger preview!! )

[Modal Seoul he/him]

The Tenth Doctor. Or  Josh Faraday from The Magnificent Seven.

[officiumdefunctorum she/her]

First Law universe, possibly not epic but certainly surprising and momentous:

Spoiler

Black Dau and Nicomo Cosca. Honorable mention to the Thunderhead for coming out of damnation nowhere and blowing my mind.

 

[The Sovereign]

On 8/21/2017 at 11:03 AM, Julio said:

Jain Farstrider.

"If you ever meet a Malkieri, you tell him Jain Farstrider died clean."

Edit: You might want to check the last name in the spoiler tags... X_X

Edited August 25, 2017 by The Sovereign

[Hood he/him]

The deaths in The Lies of Locke Lamora, are epic, given the amount of theatricality. The 'teeth lessons' were gruesome, but it is the normal-ish deaths that hurt the reader the most.

This one that hurts the most. 

Spoiler

Calo and Galdo. They were the best characters.

and when they killed this one, I understood that Camorr was really brutal. This is too much even for Locke's standards as you see in book 3.

Spoiler

Bug. 

 

[Toaster Retribution he/him]

Oh, not really epic, but completely brilliant:

ASoIaF spoilers:

Spoiler

Tywin Lannister. The mightiest man in Westeros. Shot with a crossbow by the dwarf son he despised while sitting on the toilet.

 

[Guest Edonidd]

On 8/20/2017 at 10:27 PM, Briar King said:

Should probably do tags on each posts in case people have yet to read said deaths... would kinda ruin things.

mine is Malazan bk 7

  Hide contents

Beak

This.  So so much this.  First time I've ever cried while reading a book.  And not just a little bit.  Tears streaming down my face to the point it was so blurry i couldn't read any more.

[Aon Ati he/him]

I split my top deaths into two categories: middle-finger deaths and humiliating deaths. Middle -finger deaths are when the hero essentially says to the villain, "I'm going down but you are going down with me! My favorite is

Spoiler

Elend burning all the atium to prevent Ruin from getting it and then laughing at Ruin's lose before he dies

at the end of Hero of Ages. 

A humiliating death is when the hero dies for apparently no good reason, such as when 

Spoiler

Dumbledore dies wand-less and begging to be killed

in Harry Potter. Cried like a baby when that happened.

[Totally_Not_A_Worldhopper she/her]

Have to agree with (HP spoilers):

Spoiler

Snape, and Dumbledore

But also (Grishaverse spoilers):

Spoiler

Baghra from Shadow and Bone

Spoiler

Mattias from Six of Crows

And (HP Spoilers):

Spoiler

Fred Weasley

Oh, and my biggest epic (but not tragic) death (The Raven Cycle spoilers):

Spoiler

Joseph Kavinsky

 

 

[Totally_Not_A_Worldhopper she/her]

On 9/17/2017 at 6:21 PM, Aon Ati said:

A humiliating death is when the hero dies for apparently no good reason, such as when 

  Reveal hidden contents

Dumbledore dies wand-less and begging to be killed

in Harry Potter. Cried like a baby when that happened.

Just be glad that

Spoiler

Snape killed him, not Draco.

I would have died if that happened.

Also, sorry for double posting...

Edited February 9, 2018 by Totally_Not_A_Worldhopper

[Toaster Retribution he/him]

I so wish that Harry Potter spoiler

Spoiler

Fred

Hadn't died. I get and accept all the others, but that one still hurts.

[Kureshi Ironclaw]

From Mistborn:

Spoiler

Kelsier's death definitely

I wrote a song about it after I finished the book.

[Totally_Not_A_Worldhopper she/her]

On 09/02/2018 at 2:57 PM, Toaster Retribution said:

I so wish that Harry Potter spoiler

  Reveal hidden contents

Fred

Hadn't died. I get and accept all the others, but that one still hurts.

I know. Especially his book death. His last words were... upsetting but awesome.

[Toaster Retribution he/him]

8 hours ago, Totally_Not_A_Worldhopper said:

I know. Especially his book death. His last words were... upsetting but awesome.

His movie death sucked. The movies could have been so much more.

[Totally_Not_A_Worldhopper she/her]

14 hours ago, Toaster Retribution said:

His movie death sucked. The movies could have been so much more.

It really did suck... And the movies could definitely have been more.  They missed great characters (Peeves), ruined great characters (Ginny) and (Just my opinion) they really should have kept Snape's task from the Philosopher's Stone (as in after the giant chess).