Simbas dad.

Fingolfin in the Silmarilion.

 

Optimus. Fucking. Prime.

 

Carmichael in Fool Moon. His death changed the Dresden Files from that one series about a wizard in Chicago into one of my absolute favorite stories.

Theresa's death in Fable 1. My mad hero was willing to commit genocide for profit and slaughter his best friend for a small shot at glory, but it was killing his sister for power that really hit me the hardest and let me see how far he/I'd fallen. Even more meanigful since there's nothing to do after that point.

 

Okay, let's start from the top (warning, there are spoilers for several stories).

Sirius in HP hit me way harder than Dumbledore. With Dumbledore there was just numb bewilderment, whereas with Sirius it felt way more real and impactful. And then in DH I'd probably go with Dobby and Fred - talk about coming out of nowhere.

Morgan's death in Turn Coat and whatever the hell happened to Lash at the end of White Night.

As much as I hate the author, Raina's death in Temple Of The Winds and Warren's death in Faith Of The Fallen. Terry Goodkind might be an Objectivist pissant, but goddamnit, those first six books were solid.

The Star Wars EU has a lot of deaths that hit pretty hard. Ganner Rhysode, Ton Phanan, Thrawn ('...but it was so artistically done...'), Jesmin Ackbar (this one more for how it devastated Kell Tainer and that letter Wedge had to write Admiral Ackbar), and of course Chewbacca. But then again, the Star Wars EU also had several deaths that should have hit a hell of a lot harder than they did, thanks to some subpar authors at the helm (Jacen Solo, Mara Jade, Pellaeon, Anakin Solo, basically any character Traviss or Denning tried to kill off).

Forgotten Realms has Zaknafein and Wulfgar (before he came back, and when Salvatore was at least a halfway decent author). I don't need to say more.

Thanks to Weis and Hickman, Dragonlance is filled with deaths that still fucking get to me. Sturm, Flint, Raistlin, Kitiara, Tas, Goldmoon... hell, I'd even argue what happens to Lord Soth in Dragons Of A Vanished Moon is one of the most surprisingly moving segments they ever wrote. But Raistlin and Sturm's deaths in particular get to me to this day.

And you know, despite the fact that most of the MtG books are pretty shoddily written, they still are filled with deaths that hit way harder than expected. Barrin, Hanna, Braids, Xantcha and Ratepe, Gerrard and Urza, and especially Chainer. Talk about a gut punch there.

 

A few more I'd like to nominate.

Lucien in Fable 2. You know, when Reaver kills him. I'm happily sitting there letting him monologue, and all of a sudden blam. Colour me fucking stunned. I know a lot of people hated it, but I thought it was brilliant.

Andrew Ryan.

Moriaty in Sherlock, because although he was always going to die, I genuinely didn't see the how coming.

Mr Nigel Murray in Bones, because he was a thoroughly adorkable guy who did not deserve that end.

 

Porthos in Man in the Iron Mask. That fucked me up. Great death scene though

 

Billy Costigan from The Departed

Came out of nowhere.

Edit: How bout another Scorcese one? Tommy in Goodfelles.

"N-"BANG!

 

Robb Stark. It was for the first time I almost quit a series because of what the author did. He wasn't even a view point character and his death actually made me put the book down and not go back to it for a few days.

 

I refuse to accept the death of Spike, there's just no way I can accept it, even having watched the series 6 times now. He's such an amazing hero and character that part of me always says "Jet saves him in time". It's ridiculous but I get to lie to myself

 

"Kill the spare,"I will never forget that line. Cedric Diggory's death was what made me completely see Harry potter in a new light, especially the way it was so callous. For all intents and purposes Cedric was the true champion of the tri-wizard tournament and he has not a dick to Harry like all the rest and then just like that, with three words his life is snuffed out. I remember feeling a lot of tension after that.

Annomander Rake in Malazan book of the fallen for dying after killing death and also Whiskeyjack.

 

The Tenth Doctor.

 

Both Leo DiCaprio and Matt Damon in The Departed. Both came way outta nowhere for me.

 

The only deaths mentioned that I would really call "iconic" are Mufasa and Obi-Wan Kenobi. People have mentioned Fable, but if I had to choose a death from Fable, it'd be Rose in Fable II.

I'm tempted to say Kaidan or Ashley from Mass Effect 1, but I always save Ashley and don't care about Kaidan.

I'm going to say Kutner from House.

 

Fëanor.

Wheel of Time last chapter, Rands death.

 

Oh fuck, I forgot that for a bit because I've sorta shut it away. That rendered me incomprehensible for quite a while.

 

the girl from bridge to terebithia. i forget her name.

 

I originally had a decent list of deaths that resonated with me, but the ones that I would consider 'iconic' would be:

Old Yeller.

Mufasa.

T-800's 'death' in T2.

 

Pulp Fiction: Vincent and the black dude in the back of the car.

Dresden Files: Harry and Susan in Changes. And yes, I know Harry doesn't really die, but still.

House: Kutner and Cutthroat Bitch (I forgot her name).

Breaking Bad: Gus Fring and Jane.

A Song of Ice and Fire: The Red Wedding.

 

"So passes Denethor, son of Ecthellion."

Some more that hit me are Avatar Roku's death, and Aang's subsequent birth in Avatar the Last Airbender, Mufasa, T-1000 in Terminator 2, and Fredo Corleone in The Godfather II is a good one as well. Boromir's death in Fellowship of the Ring was great too, his redemption and just sheer badassery, his funeral cairn filled to bursting with the swords and armor of the countless Uruk-Hai he slew.

Anna Karenina's death in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina resonated with me as well.