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- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Avengers: Infinity War, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Avengers: Infinity War
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/Avengers: Infinity War
The 15 Deaths From 'Infinity War' That Hit The Hardest
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Vote up the deaths that stick with you.
By the time of Avengers: Infinity War’s release in 2018, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had been going strong for a decade. Ever since Tony Stark’s first appearance on the big screen, dozens of characters across several films and TV shows had been introduced, capturing the affection of millions of viewers across the world.
While major character deaths were not entirely absent from the MCU, it was a rare event and left fans with a relative sense of security that their favorites were safe. With Infinity War, the franchise did a complete reversal, featuring the deaths of multiple established characters. Here are just a few characters whose deaths defied expectations (at times even seeming entirely avoidable) and broke countless hearts.
- 178 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Spider-Man is the alter-ego of Peter Parker, a high school student with spider-like abilities. In his native New York, Spider-Man does his best to combat crime and make the city safer while also trying to win the approval of Tony Stark.
How He Perishes: Despite putting up a fierce fight against Thanos alongside Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and several Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-Man is among those dusted by the Snap. His final moments are spent in panic as Stark attempts to calm him down.
Why It Hurts So Bad: Spider-Man’s death is especially sad, given his young age and usual, plucky optimism. His lighthearted demeanor crumbles as he realizes what's happening, turning rapidly to fear. The shot of Stark holding him as he disintegrates is a sequence that sticks with fans.
- 275 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Gamora is an assassin who joins the Guardians of the Galaxy after growing disillusioned with her adoptive father Thanos. Thanos had previously invaded Gamora’s homeworld and killed half its population, including Gamora’s birth parents.
How She Perishes: Thanos was abducted by Thanos and brought to the planet Vormir. She was then killed by Thanos so that he could obtain the Soul Stone, as sacrificing a loved one is the only way to reveal it.
Why It Hurts So Bad: Despite his twisted love for Gamora, Thanos chose to bypass his guilt and sacrifice her to achieve his goal. Meanwhile, those closest to Gamora, such as Peter Quill and Nebula, were left in despair upon discovering her fate.
- 383 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Originally born a Frost Giant, Loki was adopted as an infant by Odin, the king of Asgard. Appropriately styled as the God of Mischief, Loki constantly fluctuates between self-serving manipulation and acts of heroism.
How He Perishes: After he, his brother Thor, and Heimdall, are quickly subdued by Thanos, Loki manages to distract Thanos long enough for the Hulk to attack him. When the Hulk is defeated, Loki attempts to assassinate Thanos, but that fails, too. For his defiance, Thanos kills him in front of Thor.
Why It Hurts So Bad: It would have been very easy for Loki to join Thanos, or even pretend to do so while scheming to depose him. Yet, after several films spent trying to overthrow Asgard - and betraying Thor multiple times - he refused to leave his brother at the mercy of Thanos. When he dies, both Thor and viewers were left grieving a Loki that was on his way to redemption.
- 469 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Vision started out life as an artificial intelligence created by Tony Stark called JARVIS. During the conflict with Ultron, Vision was born after Stark and Bruce Banner combined JARVIS with synthetic tissue and the Mind Stone as a means of countering the threat.
How He Perishes: Vision died during the final battle on Earth between the Avengers and Thanos’s forces. Scarlet Witch initially killed him with his consent so as to deny Thanos the Mind Stone. However, Thanos used the Time Stone to undo the act and retrieve the stone.
Why It Hurts So Bad: While Vision didn't enjoy a ton of screentime, his journey from AI to living being was a fascinating one, and seeing him connect with Scarlet Witch and form a relationship offered the promise of more to come. His death becomes even more tragic when seen through the eyes of Scarlet Witch; in him, she had finally found someone to share her pain and redemption. This makes it that much harder to watch when she is not only forced to destroy him, but then see their sacrifice nullified when Thanos reverses time to kill him again.
- 559 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Groot is a sentient tree-like humanoid with limited vocabulary, and is the longtime friend of Rocket Racoon. With his immense strength and regenerative abilities, he becomes an invaluable member of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
How He Perishes: After donating his arm to form Thor’s new weapon, “Stormbreaker,” Groot takes part in the battle against Thanos. In the end, Groot is among the numerous victims of The Snap and disintegrates.
Why It Hurts So Bad: The relationship between Groot and Rocket Racoon was very paternal, with Rocket being extremely protective of Groot. His death left the latter heartbroken and the last original member of the Guardians.
- 673 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Heimdall is the guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, the gateway that connects Asgard to other realms. His martial prowess and exceptional sense of hearing and sight make him an effective first line of defense for the bridge.
How He Perishes: In the wake of Asgard’s destruction, Heimdall was watching over a ship full of Asgardian refugees when it was attacked by Thanos. After using his abilities to send the Hulk back to Earth, Thanos kills him.
Why It Hurts So Bad: Heimdall was an honorable character who spent his final moments working to ensure the survival of his people. From the physical destruction of the Bifrost Bridge to that of Asgard itself, he gave everything to ensure that Asgardians could rebound in some form.
- 754 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Black Panther is the mantle of T’Challa, king of the African nation of Wakanda. He inherited his role as king after his father was killed in a bombing orchestrated by Helmut Zemo.
How He Perishes: As the battle against Thanos raged in his country, Black Panther did his best to help his friends and countrymen. However, in the end, he was among those killed by The Snap.
Why It Hurts So Bad: Where other characters had varying degrees of time to understand they were dying, for Black Panther it was very quick. His last moment was spent encouraging his general Okoye to get back up before he disintegrated in front of her.
- 853 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Scarlet Witch is Wanda Maximoff, a powerful individual with reality-altering abilities. Following her initial introduction as an ally of Ultron alongside her brother Quicksilver, she later joins the Avengers and forms a bond with Vision.
How She Perishes: Scarlet Witch intended, if reluctantly, to destroy the Mind Stone and deny Thanos access to all of the Infinity Stones. However, the plan failed and she was killed in The Snap while grieving Vision’s death.
Why It Hurts So Bad: Scarlet Witch was forced to watch Vision die twice, once by her own hand and again by Thanos when he used the Time Stone to reverse her actions. This came when she had already been suffered a terrible loss, namely that of her brother at the hands of Ultron.
- 939 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Doctor Strange is a former neurosurgeon named Stephen Strange who gains mystical abilities after a car accident and trains to become the Sorcerer Supreme. He protects Earth from supernatural threats and safeguards reality through the wielding of powerful magical artifacts.
How He Perishes: Strange willingly gives the Time Stone to Thanos in exchange for sparing Tony Stark's life. Strange is later killed in The Snap, alongside all of those who fought Thanos on Titan except for Stark and Nebula.
Why It Hurts So Bad: Strange's appeal lies in his unique blend of intelligence, arrogance, and mystical powers. His growth as a character led up to his crucial role in the fight against Thanos and subsequent death, leaving a significant void in the Avengers' lineup. There's also the fact that he swore he'd never surrender the Time Stone - meaning his sacrifice was made because he has faith in the survivors.
- 1048 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Originally an American soldier in World War II who fought alongside his friend Captain America, Bucky Barnes was presumed dead after a train battle. However, in the present it's discovered he survived, was brainwashed, and used by the Germans as an assassin in the Cold War.
How He Perishes: Despite facing opponents such as Iron Man and Captain America in previous films, Barnes managed to survive into Infinity War. However, after fighting against Thanos’s troops alongside several other characters, Barnes is among those who perish in The Snap.
Why It Hurts So Bad: Barnes had previously spent decades as an assassin with no free will, and after reclaiming his identity was still left to grapple with what he had gone through. His death came after a relatively brief existence of once again having agency over his actions.
- 1132 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Nick Fury is a high-ranking member of S.H.I.E.L.D. who played a central role in assembling the Avengers, acting as a guiding force for the team. He is responsible for coordinating Earth’s defense against supernatural and cosmic threats, as well as rooting out spies within his organization.
How He Perishes: Fury disintegrates after The Snap along with several civilians and S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel around him. However, before he dies he manages to contact Captain Marvel and alert her that help is needed.
Why It Hurts So Bad: Fury was dedicated to safeguarding Earth and spent his last moments attempting to ensure something could be done to that end before he died. Where many characters were quickly taken by The Snap, Fury remained lucid long enough to be aware of what was happening to him.
- 1225 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Falcon is the hero persona of Sam Wilson, a skilled combatant and aerialist who becomes a trusted ally of Captain America. As an Avenger, he regularly provides support for members Captain America and Black Widow.
How He Perishes: In the final act of the film, Falcon participates in the Battle of Wakanda, fighting against Thanos's forces alongside the other Avengers. However, he ultimately falls victim to Thanos's snap, with an unaware James Rhodes calling out for him seconds after.
Why It Hurts So Bad: By the time of Infinity War, Falcon had seen expanded character development and become an integral part of Captain America’s faction of the Avengers. His death was among those resulting from The Snap, making it tragically quick and unceremonious.
- 1329 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Proxima Midnight is a member of the Thanos-loyal Black Order. She is a skilled fighter who uses her prowess to further her master’s goals.
How She Perishes: Midnight fights alongside other Order members in Wakanda against the Avengers. She is killed by Scarlet Witch after fending off several other Avengers.
Why It Hurts So Bad: As with several of her allies, Proxima doesn’t see a ton of development by the time of her death. For a character who stood her ground against several Avengers and Wakandan warriors, more time could have been spent rounding her out.
- 1430 VOTES
Who The Character Is: Ebony Maw is the most prominent member of the Black Order and Thanos’s most loyal follower. He is extremely intelligent and has telekinetic powers that allow him to subdue some of the most powerful Avengers.
How He Perishes: Maw is ambushed by Stark while torturing Doctor Strange. Despite being confident in his ability to combat the metal man, Maw is unprepared for Spider-Man's assistance. He is blasted out of his ship when the two team up, and freezes in the vacuum of space.
Why It Hurts So Bad: For the majority of the time he is on screen, Maw is a serious threat to most opponents. His arrogant nature, tactical prowess, and imposing powers make him a worthy villain, so it's both satisfying and disappointing when he gets taken out.
- 1525 VOTES
Cull Obsidian
Who The Character Is: Cull Obsidian is a powerful member of the Black Order, which is made up of aliens who serve Thanos. He acts as one of Thanos's most brutal enforcers in his quest to collect the Infinity Stones.
How He Perishes: Cull Obsidian meets his demise during the battle of Wakanda. He is defeated by Bruce Banner in the Hulkbuster armor after the latter propels him into a forcefield, killing him.
Why It Hurts So Bad: Honestly, the only thing that hurts about this one is that the big lug doesn't bite it sooner. In spite of being featured prominently in the film alongside his master, Cull Obsidian doesn’t receive much in the way of a character arc. His final scenes aren’t even spent fighting the Hulk, but Banner in human form.
