Why Characters Should Stay Dead

It's a current popular plot "twist" these days: characters who die but don't stay dead.

(Caution, spoilers ahead for a few movies/books.)



We all know the drill. That character hanging off the cliff lets go...the building gets blown up with someone inside...Bucky falls off the train...and all the other characters are devastated. They cry and mourn and maybe the readers/watchers cry too.

Then the next book/movie comes out (or sometimes you just wait for a few scenes or chapters), and that "dead" character shows up. Maybe they're the villain now. Or maybe they've been tortured by the villain. Or maybe they've been wounded and fending for themselves. Or they just stroll over and act like nothing ever changed. 

They didn't really die. Something cushioned their fall. Something protected them. They planned it from the beginning. It was just a trick.

Or maybe a different character uses magic or whatever is available to them in their world to bring that actually-dead character back.

It happens so much, we've almost come to expect it. The character falls, their friends cry, and while we shed a tear or two, we keep reading/watching, eagerly awaiting their "unexpected" return.

Why can't they just stay dead?

They can and sometimes they should. Other times, bringing them back to life can be good and well. So let's look further into this.

Keep Them Dead Because It's Simply Realistic

As much as it hurts to loose a loved one, we can't bring them back. We may see them again in Heaven someday, but for now, they are no longer on this earth. They're out of the story. No resurrections this time (to quote Thanos on the quite-possible-permanent-death of Loki). It brings a sense of realism to the story. It shows you're serious about this book.

Keep Them Dead to Raise the Stakes

Like I said, show you're serious. Show the readers that your villains really and truly are dangerous. They will kill. People will die because of them. We're raising the stakes here. People have died, people the readers love. It's time to make the villain pay.

In a World of Not-Really-Deaders, Surprise Readers with an Actually-Deader

You wanna stab your readers in the heart? Don't bring that character back. Just...don't. Their story is finished, more or less. It'll make readers continue to think about your book (even if it's only to grow that harboring resentment against you, the author) after they read it. It'll make them go back and re-read the parts with that character because they realize how precious few paragraphs they really have with him/her.

Keep Them Dead Because Deaths Drive Action

Death impacts the other characters. It spurs them into action. They want revenge. They want to make the villain pay. They want to see their friend(s) didn't die in vain. It also serves for a low point in the book, that "dark night of the soul" moment where everything seems black and hopeless.

Of course, we can still get achieve this and then bring the character back later. So let's talk about how to do this correctly.

Don't Bring Them Back Because You Only Killed Them Off to Horrify Readers in the First Place

Marvel brings back a lot of their characters who "die", right? Because those characters are well loved and because Marvel wants to continue making money off of them.

When rewatching the movies, guess which is the only death to make me cry? Quicksilver's death, because he doesn't come back. Bucky falls off the train, and I'm like "Oh, yeah, poor Steve, but he'll find him later. Yeah, Bucky gets captured by Hydra, but he makes it through." But Quicksilver dies, and Wanda looses her brother. Forever. He doesn't return.

Do you want your readers to stop mourning for character deaths because they're 90% sure that character will come back later? If they know you resurrect half your "dead" characters, they won't be so emotional when a character dies.

Kill Them For a Reason

Don't kill that character off simply because you want to make readers cry. And then bring them back later because you actually kinda still need them, or because you want to make readers get all excited and happy.

No. Kill that character and watch readers stare in horror as they slowly realize he/she isn't coming back. Ever. They're gone.

Kill them to show the tough battle they're fighting. To show that there really is danger. To show what the villain is capable of, or that the heroes have to work together before they all die. To show the price of the heroes mistakes.

Make sure every character death is there for a reason. Don't just kill them (and bring them back) just for fun. Every death needs to pack a punch. And keeping them dead will do just that.

26 comments:

  1. THANK YOU. I've been noticing that trend for a while and it's exceedingly annoying. Star Wars Episode IX's character resurrection was the last straw for me. No doubt it is influenced by video games and their multiple lives...

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    1. This was actually drafted before Star Wars IX...but a timely post, I think, haha!

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  2. "The quite-possible-permanent-death of Loki" <-- LOL, we're Marvel viewers. We know better than to actually believe he's dead until proven otherwise. Words mean NOTHING!

    Also: "In a World of Not-Really-Deaders, Surprise Readers with an Actually-Deader" <-- words to live by, folks!

    But yes, this is so true. It irks me when every single movie/book out there brings back dead characters. Like, sure, I'll believe that someone faked their death once or that maybe someone realistically didn't die, but not every. Single. Time.

    Let dead characters die.

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    1. Like, once every now and then is fine, but not ALL. THE. TIME.

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  3. THIS POST RIGHT HERE PEOPLE. Characters need to stay dead, please. No offense to the lovely characters, but for it's for the best of storytelling.

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  4. I so agree! I hadn't really thought of that, but it really is becoming a plot twist that isn't really a plot twist because everyone does it and everyone knows that character will come back. It's just for the shock and awe factor.

    www.melodypersonetteauthor.blogspot.com

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    1. Exactly. It's no longer a plot twist. I find myself expecting a character to come back every time he/she "dies" and it's not fun.

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  5. THANK YOU FOR THIS. I have a saying that guides my writing: "If there's a body, there's a death". If I ever show the body of the character and confirm yep, they're dead, I have a vow to myself to never bring them back. :P I hate that now when I read books and a character 'dies' my first thought is wondering when they'll come back. It stops deaths from truly having an impact!

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    1. Exactly!! They "die" and we're like, "ah, they're coming back. We never even saw a body."

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  6. It was actually surprising the first few times, but now... nope. I get weirdly angry if authors of directors make me cry for no reason and I don't like when after I've shed tears over a character BOOK they're back. Good post! Quicksilver. <3

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  7. Alright, folks take note from this human if you are writing ANYTHING haha.
    I couldn't agree more! I felt a certain recent death in the new Star Wars was only for the sake of surprise and it bothered me to death...*face palm*

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    1. I'm still trying to figure out my thoughts about Star Wars IX. Like, I didn't mind the bringing back of a character, per se, I think I was mostly annoyed by how nothing really led up to it and it was like, in the opening scrawl "Oh, hey, this character is alive."

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  8. YES xD I kill several people in my series and like...when they're gone, they're gone. I do like to make people think there isn't hope and then bring it back (someone kidnapped returns, someone wakes up from a coma), but there's always been a faint shred of hope there that the characters are clinging to, so that helps. And that's another thing--if you want to scare your readers, ALMOST killing people works well and is always a viable option xD

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    1. Yes!! Make the readers sweat with a possible coming death...and don't make them feel cheated when the character lives!

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  9. i legit saw the title and thought "she's gonna talk about Bucky and Loki, isn't she?" And i was right!! XD But i do agree with you, we have started to expect people to not stay dead, especially in Marvel characters.

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    1. Haha, yeah, Marvel movies have ruined me, and not just with the "deaths"....now every time a movie ends, I'm waiting for end credit scenes....before remembering that it's just a Marvel thing.

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  10. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS!!!! So.Much.Yes!!! =D (also, if you want a good story where characters actually stay dead, and for a good reason, take a look at Skyward and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, I think you'd really like them!)

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    1. I still need to read Sanderson!!! I have TWoK on my bookshelf, I just haven't opened it yettttttt

      Also, Tolkien brought characters back (Gandalf, of course) but he also killed ones, too. :)

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  11. THISSSSS. I totally agree with you A THOUSAND TIMES OVER. Can we add that the studio for the new Star Wars (please don't get me started on the newest episodes---specifically 7, 8, & 9 -_-) BROUGHT PALPATINE BACK. SERIOUSLY. WHYYYYYY.

    GAH. I love this post SO MUCH. And yes, yes, YES to Quicksilver's death. I cry at that one also. I was heartbroken at losing Bucky at first, but once you know he comes back it certainly changes things. As long as the character's death helps further the story, I agree with this 198386%. xDDD

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    1. So funny, I drafted this post back in November, I believe. And then the newest Star Wars comes out. Like, THEY SHOULD HAVE READ THIS POST FIRST, haha.

      I enjoyed the new ones. Getting to see Star Wars in the theatres was nice. But as a writer, I have some serious bones to pick with them, too.

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  12. Amazing post! Thanks for sharing! I'm a writer and this is something I'll definitely tuck away for when my characters start dying off.
    If you're interested in quick reads, I have a flash fiction blog. I would love for you to stop by and enjoy a piece or two!
    Www.100daysflashfiction.blogspot.com

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    1. I'm glad you found this interesting!

      Not much of a flash fiction person, but I might check it out. :)

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  13. Yess! This! I am so sick of movies and tv shows doing this for shock value.

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    1. Exactly. It's not even going to shock them any more...

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