Gino - The Darkness

Notable for: Having one of the earliest and most hilariously unexpected deaths in videogames. Teaching us why we shouldn't lean out of moving cars. Trucks are heavy, kids.

Chewed up Pikmin ghosts - Pikmin

Notable for: Teaching us that even sentient vegetable people have souls. Making us feel guilty and creeped out at the same time.

Murdered Colossi - Shadow of the Colossus

Notable for: Making us feel like total wankers as we turn a once proud and noble creature into just another pile of rock and mould.

Skulls - Zelda III: A Link to the Past

Notable for: Being one of the first instances in which we could use a piece of disembodied anatomy as a tool or weapon in a game. Speaking of which...

McCoy and the crazy nurse - Dead Space

Notable for: Proving that love can blossom between two people even if one of them is a dismembered corpse. Especially if one of them is blind and insane. Providing endless squishy fun when stomped on. Confirming that there's one thing a gamer will always do when presented with body parts and a gravity gun.

Giant slug-fish thing - Metroid Prime

Notable for: Being the first of many dead things in MP we could investigate with the scan visor. Training us to poke around in corpses for educational value.

Aeris - Final Fantasy VII

Notable for: Still being the subject of fanboy mourning 11 years later. Get over it! Please!