We're all victims of good writing; characters so developed and thought out that we become invested in their fictional lives. It doesn't matter if we know them for the length of a novel or for a couple of hours of a movie or show. Nor does it matter that we'll never meet them outside of our imaginations. A well written character can be as dear to our hearts as a living being can be.
But then, some creators like to rip our new found friends away from us. With just a moment on the screen or the turn of the page, creators crush fans' hearts by killing off beloved characters all of the time.
Redditor u/BeansAreNotCorn opened up some old wounds when they asked... "Which fictional character's death hit you the hardest?"
**spoilers ahead**
20. One of the saddest video game deaths
Giphy"Lee Telltales the walking Dead Clementines desperation just broke my heart"
19. Disney knows how to hurt us
"Ellie Frederickson from UP. I wasn't really phased by it when I was young. But in retrospect, her death is pretty heartbreaking."
18. So iconic, that I don't have to give a source
"'Mr. Stark, I don't feel so good.'"
17. The whole movie is about a dog that dies over and over again
"the Retriever and German Shepherd in A Dogs Purpose"
16. An educated prediction
"Hasnt happened yet but when and if it does it'll be All Might's"
15. This hit many people hard
"Arthur Morgan from red dead Redemption two. This is the first time I've ever cried bc of a game character. The whole story line made him feel so real."
14. Poor Newt
"Newt from maze runner. Got really attached to him as a character from the books."
13. I didn't see it coming and I couldn't believe it
"Eddie Kaspbrak's from IT Chapter two"
12. No one understands
"jack dawson from the titanic. i watched that movie every day as a kid and i couldn't understand why he couldn't climb on the board with her."
11. I never thought I'd cry for a spider
"Charlotte from Charlotte's Web. I read the book to my daughter when she was a toddler and I couldn't finish it from crying so hard. The cartoon movie kills me as well."
10. "I'm tired, boss."
"'I'm tired, boss.'
Cried the first time I saw John Coffey die in the Green Mile, and will cry any time I watch it
Also, the little girl in the red coat in Schindler's List."
9. We all cried when our teacher showed us this movie
Giphy"The Iron Giant's death. 'I go. You stay. No following.'"
8. “I wanna go home Forrest”
"I'm surprised nobody has mention Bubba from Forrest Gump
That 'I wanna go home Forrest' line KILLS me every time and I've seen the movie at least 8 times. I almost teared up just now thinking about it."
7. My jaw hit the floor when I first read the book
"Leslie Burke in Bridge To Terebithia. I couldn't handle it the first time I read it, and it took me ages to actually finish the book"
6. Everything is sadder after a pet dies
"Lee Scoresby and Hester in His Dark Materials. It was a heart wrenching scene on its own, but my bunny had died not too long before the first time I read the book. I still skip that part on every re-read."
5. Every little thing will not be alright
"The dog from I Am Legend. You can bet I let my dog sleep in the bed with me that night."
4. It was an awful way to be written off
"Prince Oberyn.
I wasn't even attached to the character, it was just the way that he died. I saw it coming as soon as he got cocky but did not expect it to be so brutal!"
3. And I made up my mind to stop watching the show
"Hank from Breaking bad. DID NOT EXPECT THAT."
"He made up his mind ten minutes ago."
2. Every “Potter” reader has had their heart shattered
"Sirius Black. Sorry Dumbledore, Dobby, Hedwig, Snape, and the 99999 others that died"
"Dobby hit me hard. Such a beautiful place, to be with friends. Dobby is happy to be with his friend, Harry Potter."
1. The saddest cartoon death, no arguments
Giphy"Mufasa"
"That's the one that gets me too!! No other movie can do that to me, when simba's pawing at his dad and realizing he's dead actually breaks my heart. Every time."
But fans of the smash hit fantasy series were shocked that actress Gwendoline Christie, who finally scored her first nomination for best supporting actress in a drama series for her role as Brienne of Tarth, actually had to submit herself for consideration when HBO declined.
Christie shared the news on Instagram.
Writer Julie DiCaro pointed this bizarre factoid out in a now-viral tweet.
HBO didn't submit Gwendoline Christie for an Emmy so she submitted herself and got a nomination. Be your own biggest cheerleader.— Julie DiCaro (@Julie DiCaro) 1563372846.0
It certainly makes Christie's nomination all the more impressive.
@JulieDiCaro https://t.co/dE7ogjE0vv— E Kaminetz (@E Kaminetz) 1563374320.0
@JulieDiCaro @cmclymer So that’s what she was writing... https://t.co/vl0lOa1h08— Charles Song (@Charles Song) 1563375237.0
@JulieDiCaro @leebee4life And Gwen deserved that nomination too!— J. C. (@J. C.) 1563374511.0
gwendoline christie deserves this emmy nomination so much, she was definitely one of the outstanding actors in game… https://t.co/96ry3uISG9— ben (@ben) 1563293598.0
People were pretty peeved that HBO left Christie to fend for herself, though.
@JulieDiCaro @saloni_g Wait really? HBO what is wrong with you https://t.co/HGztYepIOX— Linda Maleh (@Linda Maleh) 1563379432.0
@JulieDiCaro But let’s not lose sight of the fact that @HBO sucks for not nominating her!— President Kamala’s Hand (@President Kamala’s Hand) 1563380764.0
@DearDean22 @JulieDiCaro @HBO I'll be mad at them later. First we celebrate. https://t.co/4umWMM68LN— David Sorenson (@David Sorenson) 1563398640.0
Other fans were quick to point out that Christie wasn't the only Game of Thrones actor who had to self-submit to be considered.
Alfie Allen and Carice van Houten, who play Theon Greyjoy and Melisandre, respectively, also submitted themselves for Emmy consideration, with Allen scoring a nod for best supporting actor in a drama series and van Houten grabbing a guest actress in a drama series nomination.
@leetokeen Via Entertainment Weekly: https://t.co/MLc2r95LCe— Julie DiCaro (@Julie DiCaro) 1563401451.0
All three of the first-time nominations came as somewhat of a shock to fans and now we know why.
@JulieDiCaro @leetokeen Do all actors & actresses know they can self submit? Interesting. Good on them!!!— loves Chicago (@loves Chicago) 1563451092.0
Of course, not all actors have to submit themselves.
HBO did, in fact, submit Kit Harington, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams in various acting categories, all of whom scored nominations.
But, as one person pointed out, it is most likely about the odds.
The more actors you submit, the more internal competition they end up facing.
@mconnormurphy @JulieDiCaro @ljmaleh @saloni_g @HBO They don't nominate every actor bc then the actor they want to… https://t.co/AdDDVqWRvB— Leah (@Leah) 1563467201.0
Which makes it even more impressive that three additional Game of Thrones actors were able to break through with nominations of their own after paying the $225 submission fee.
So let that be a lesson for all of us: If you think you deserve to be considered for something, then just take steps on your own to get there if you can.
You might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
@JulieDiCaro https://t.co/OIPRp9ncNE— Jason Matthews (@Jason Matthews) 1563387529.0
Because as Bigfoot knows, believe in yourself, even if no one else does, shirt available here.
*Warning: Game of Thrones spoilers ahead!*
HBO
Emilia Clarke, who portrayed Daenerys Targaryen, posted a cast photo and signed off from the show as if writing in a yearbook without wishing everyone a "rad summer."
"Finding the words to write this post has left me overwhelmed with how much I want to say but how small words feel in comparison to what this show and Dany have meant to me."
She added:
"The mother of dragons chapter has taken up the whole of my adult life. This woman has taken up the whole of my heart."
Gwendoline Christie, who played Brienne of Tarth, expressed her gratitude in all caps.
"THANK YOU. There is no other way to start this. @gameofthrones has changed my life beyond anything I could have comprehended. Playing Brienne of Tarth has redefined the way I look at the world, women and particularly myself."
She is seen in the photo giving one of the show's ADs a fond farewell.
"This photograph was taken on my very last day saying goodbye to my friend Ciaran, he worked on the show from the beginning as an AD and was the first person I met on 'Game of Thrones' - he treated me with respect, kindness and great humour every single day."
But one on-set photo taken in between takes really outshines them all.
Sophie Turner, who played Sansa Stark, didn't have much to say in her post, except:
"The pack survived."
That's all she needed to say, because the photo says it all.
Sansa is pictured vaping with Arya (Maisie Williams) being too cool for school and with Bran (Isaac Hempstead Wright) grinning and...baring his legs.
This is rich.
With one brilliant snapshot, it seemed much of the angst about the finale was forgotten.
@sophiet/Instagram
@sophiet/Instagram
@sophiet/Instagram
@sophiet/Instagram
Those legs, though.
@sophiet/Instagram
@sophiet/Instagram
Final thoughts.
@sophiet/Instagram
We stan with those shades.
@sophiet/Instagram
@enews The JUUL queen back at it again! Should have used a #PHILTER around King Bran for all that secondhand smoke! 😎 @SophieT— Philter Labs, Inc (@Philter Labs, Inc) 1558466946
Turner did post a heartfelt goodbye for her alter ego, Sansa, with whom she grew up.
"Sansa, Thank you for teaching me resilience, bravery and what true strength really is. Thank you teaching me to be kind and patient and to lead with love. I grew up with you. I fell in love with you at 13 and now 10 years on.. at 23 I leave you behind, but I will never leave behind what you've taught me."
The actress, newly married to Joe Jonas at an impromptu Vegas wedding that did not end in blooshed, also shared her takeaways from being a part of the GoT phenomenon.
"To the show and the incredible people who make it, thank you for giving me the best life and drama lessons I could have ever asked for. Without you I wouldn't be the person I am today. Thank you for giving me this chance all those years ago."
She showed her fans some love.
"And finally to the fans. Thank you for falling in love with these characters and supporting this show right through till the end. I'll miss this more than anything."
Whatever your thoughts on the series finale, this is the end of an era. Game of Thrones will forever reign as a defining icon in the annals of pop culture.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for those who haven't watched the "Game of Thrones" series finale.
Winter came and Game of Thrones finished its run in a season that captivated audiences as fans waited to see how everything was going to play out.
But when the finale episode aired on Sunday, fans were divided over the fantasy drama series' shocking ending.
You can't please everybody. But actor Jason Alexander knows a thing or two about capping off a series and its repercussions with devoted audiences.