Dead reckoning: Can you identify these characters from their grim demises?

Ready, deady, go!

There's something strangely reassuring about a memorable death, as if it somehow grants the dying an ironic immortality, a legacy beyond that of their own diminished lifespan. A sort of fame or even infamy. One last amusing hurrah, whether performed intentionally or not. No-one, for example, will remember the name of a nice, young workaday stiff who popped his clogs over 100 years ago today, but add in the caveat that this particular chap fell from a zeppelin while performing a lively drunken jig, and somehow Seor Stupid becomes the veritable afterlife of the party. "Hey look, it's Drunken Zeppelin Guy", they cry, "His last act of brazen idiocy shall live on forever!".

Video games, for their part, are practically overflowing with these sorts of odd ends and strange 'mortal coil shuffles'. This list attempts to collate the very best of them, before turning to you, the reader, to ask 'Just how well do you know your video game deaths?' There are main characters, supporting artists, and even the occasional boss monster, so sit back, relax and strap on your homemade SAW helmets. It's time to die. Oh, and one more thing. MASSIVE SPOILERS AHOY!

#1

Defeated by a powerful sorceress and launched into the sun. Her charred remains were then hacked into pieces.

Jubileus (Bayonetta)

#2

Ordered his own son to murder him. Beaten to death with a golf club.

Andrew Ryan (Bioshock)

#3

Overrun by parasites, before being ripped apart by their acidic saliva/ blood.

Benjamin Carmine (Gears of War 2)

#4

Crashed his vehicle into a petrol tanker while attempting to outrun two former accomplices. Covered in gasoline, he was subsequently set alight and burned to death.

Trevor Philips (Grand Theft Auto V)

#5

Lured into an enormous spider's nest by an evil succubus. Stabbed in the chest while defeating her.

Naia (Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons)

#6

Tied up and disguised as a notorious criminal. Subsequently shot to death by prison guards.

Hoxie (The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay)

#7

Leg pulled from its socket by a hideous monster, which then proceeded to launch his shattered body through a pane of glass.

Zach Hammond (Dead Space)

#8

Almost crushed to death at the hands of a titanic enemy. Severely injured and unable to defend himself, his head was quite literally pulled from his body.

Helios (God of War 3)

#9

Stabbed in the neck during a game of poker. Had intended to do the same to his killer.

Sam Becker (Far Cry 3)

#10

Ignoted a citywide riot, before being chased down by vengeful gangstas. Died after crashing his fire truck off of an overpass.

Officer Frank Tenpenny (GTA: San Andreas)

#11

Had his brain impaled by a floating slug monster.

Eli Vance (Half-Life 2: Episode 2)

#12

Captured by parasites and absorbed into their hive mind goo sack. Later punched into mulch by the main character (as an act of err 'compassion').

Captain Jacob Keyes (Halo: Combat Evolved)

#13

Crashed a dropship into a gigantic walking tank, sacrificing himself in order to aid his comrades.

Carter-A259 (Halo: Reach)

#14

Defeated in battle by a high-tech ninja. Stabbed repeatedly before having his heart ripped out of his chest and crushed in front of him.

Senator Steven Armstrong (Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance)

#15

Drowned by multiple copies of his own daughter

Booker DeWitt (Bioshock: Infinite)

#16

Killed following a prolonged duel in the jungle. Sealed his fate by falling asleep on multiple occasions.

The End (Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater)

#17

Kicked from a moving helicopter while firing wildly at the protagonist.

Jacknife (Mirror's Edge)

#18

Fought an extremely powerful sorceress and lost. Throat punctured by a high heel boot.

Jax (Mortal Kombat 2011)

#19

Piloted a primitive hang glider over a cliff face, before plummeting to his death.

Charles Kinnear aka 'Deadalus' (Red Dead Redemption)

#20

Crashed his speedboat into a refuelling station while trying to outrun the police. Survived the blast only to be beaten to a bloody pulp and 'pulped bloody' by an ice chipper.

'Big Smile Lee' (Sleeping Dogs

#21

Transformed into a tentacle-toting freak show. Subsequently blown apart by twin rocket strikes - and all whilst burning alive inside of an active volcano.

Albert Wesker (Resident Evil 5)

#22

Consumed by the same dark energy he had earlier unleashed, this character was transformed into a nightmarish shadow monster, and later sucked into a blinding white vortex.

Wander (Shadow of the Colossus)

#23

Lynched by an angry mob, and later 'rescued' by his comrades, who tried and failed to resuscitate him.

John Lugo (Spec Ops: The Line)

#24

Trapped under falling wreckage, in a room filling with poisonous gas. Sacrificed himself by igniting said fumes. Chargrilled in the subsequent explosion.

Alex Weiss (Tomb Raider)

#25

Beaten to death by a set of vengeful tribespeople despite believing himself to have attained immortality.

Zoran Lazarevi (Uncharted 2)

Dead time stories

Well that was awfully morbid, wasn't it? If you've got any suggestions for better, more memorable gaming deaths, then sound off in the comments section below. Alternatively, take the opportunity to yell about how many questions you got wrong and how it's all my fault. Muahaha. Muahahahah!

Looking for more mortality? Then check out 8 video games where death still actually matters (opens in new tab) and The Top 7 most shameful ways you've died in a video game (opens in new tab).