[Spoiler Mentions for - Marvel, One Piece, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII, Assassins Creed: Revelations and Red Dead Redemption]
This inspiration came around the corner when I was talking with Leafeaterxx about a number of different TV Shows/Videogames/Anime and Mangas; alongside the importance of death to various franchises to create a grounding experience. As death tends to be a crucial part for many titles; it should be noted that I couldn’t get away without discussing spoilers within this entry.
Now, I don’t personally watch Marvel’s Agents of Shield and while I hear how it’s a very hit and miss show – one of my biggest gripes from the very beginning of its making was the fact that Coulson was still alive. This was an issue that deeply disappointed me in regards to the fact that it takes away the emotional power of the Avengers movie to a great extent, especially since it’s forced to be a PG-13 production. Going back to watch the movie, it’s hard for me to take the scene between Loki and Coulson seriously. It reminds me of the fact that this is a conventional superhero team up where people that we care about just don’t die. It really detracted me from the rest of the movie and thus I couldn’t take it as seriously as I did the first time. In my opinion aside from a few exceptions, replayability of a film is key to getting the most out of an experience.
Anticipating a death that’s meaningful after reruns is also what can make the death special in its own way; you appreciate it more for the meaning it’s trying to send across, however varied. Clear examples from my favorite movies being Gladiator, Million Dollar Baby and Last of the Mohicans.
In terms of TV Shows that are gritty and filled with death, I commend narratives like Game of Thrones for knowing how to separate the usual tone of killings against central crucial deaths without it drawing away from the setting of the world or creating melodramatics afterwards. The latter of which I feel, The Walking Dead is bedridden with.
Talking about my general love for One Piece aside, I can’t help but point out the masterful storytelling of Eiichrio Oda once more because of how he manages to bring a character of no significant value to the daily plot and create an ambiance of urgency and care where the audience vouches for Luffy to save his brother Ace. To make matters even more powerful, he fleshes out Ace with traits akin to that of an archtype of literatures’ tragic heroes. His blood though not noble is one of significant stature, there’s a stroke of good fortune before bad and Ace has a tragic flaw in his personality which inevitably leads to his own demise.
It’s gripping, heartbreaking and tactfully done in the span of one war yet affects the audience much afterwards. Oda even before the death makes us deeply care for a character whose appearance was hardly ever seen. Ace's death in paticular affected me very hard since I related everything on the basis of my own close bond and relationship with my older brother. It pulled strings and made me cry to a very profound level; based on the deep love I have for him. This death in paticular struck a serious chord with me since like Luffy, I've looked up to my older brother my whole life.
Ultimately when it comes to death, the title that had one of the greatest impacts on myself during my childhood was none other than the classic, Final Fantasy VII scene regarding Aerith’s death. Back in the day whenever I could, I used to play Final Fantasy games with my friend, Wassim and together we’d read the dialogue of the game as if it were a theatrical play. I’d voice the female characters and he’d voice the males and vice versa. I enjoyed that game to the fullest for it mainly being my first endeavor into the gaming world from a purely storytelling level. Till this day, Aerith’s death still haunts me and I vividly remember the first time ever experiencing the scene with my friend, both of us were speechless. And admittedly it was probably the first and only time I ever saw my friend cry. People say, “Who care’s its only half way into the game and the villain kills the flower girl. BIG DEAL.” But really it’s more than just that; it’s the characterization, the masterful storytelling, the music and her role continuing throughout the lore that emphasizes the death on a whole other intensity.
Before Aerith dies, she goes missing. Cloud knows where she is and what she is doing. And in a matter of moments, the most important person in Clouds life is taken away from him. While I don’t need to explain what other peoples have replicated feeling. Aerith symbolizes hope, healing and light in the lore of FF7. Her death has a huge meaning in regards to the foundation of the whole game which continues on into the movie, Advent Children. And even further is a classic symbol of meaning within the world of serious videogame death narratives on a whole. Really and truly, Aerith’s demise has remained a pivotal example.
And because we are on the subject of videogames where a lot of death happens whether meaningless or not; I’m just going to continue my train of through with JRPG’s since I feel very at home with the genre. I feel Kingdom Hearts plays with the theme of death much differently than any other gaming title to exist and that’s what makes its stance rather original and enjoyable. The “death” of Xion has such an emotional impact not just because we’re witnessing her death but we’re also seeing a friendship being lost as Roxas’s memory of her deteriorates. Not only did Xion force her best friend to kill her for the greater good, but she did so knowing that he will lose his memories of her in the process, a thought that’s almost worse than death itself. She’s crying, he’s crying, I’m crying. And the score truly brings further damage to highlight the sadness of it all. The silver lining here is that Kingdom Hearts 3 is alluding to Sora being able to save all these poor characters that have died or disappeared throughout the course of the series.
The Danganronpa is an odd one that I’m going to mention simply on the sheer basis that when I started the series; I really thought I’d be in for the ride mostly for plot progression and gameplay rather than the characters themselves. Yet in an odd ball, funky way; Spike Chunsoft makes you care about many of the characters whether they are the killers or the killed. They’re influenced by their environment and you can’t help but pity them for the fact that these people wouldn’t kill if they weren’t in the situations they were forced in. It’s executed really well where it actually gives touching impact to characters that you happen to care about; even more so where the timing is done correctly.
Taking a western gaming perspective, as a long time Assassins Creed fan; I’ve always felt that deaths remained true to honoring the ideology and central premises of the series. This remaining as one of the biggest reasons why I truly enjoyed Revelations in comparison to most gamers. I personally felt as an Altair fan that he never truly got the right closure he deserved as the first Assassin of the franchise, regardless of the fact that he was/is my favorite. The scene where Ezio comes across Altair’s corpse within the library continues to be my favorite moment of the entire series because it truly emitted the power of the Creed and sombre situations bridging towards the future. You feel Altair’s isolation throughout his life. The Apple giving him messages that drove him into madness and seclusion until death in which he leaves a message for Ezio. Thereby Ezio talking directly to Desmond himself, knowing that he is watching from the future. This fleshes out a very spiritual impact that touches most hardcore AC fans; while disappointing others as anti-climatic. It’s a very powerful scene that still doesn't fall short despite the direction Ubisoft has taken with the series on a whole.
Red Dead Redemption uses death as a tool to create the perfect ending. The point being that John Marston had to die. While going through the game, we had to know that somehow the government agents were going to betray John and kill him eventually. The game is a throwback to old Westerns, which is what really would have happened - once John killed the three, Ross would have disposed of him. Any other outcome with John Marston living would have been a farce. John Marston's life (the arc that you play) was entirely his attempt to prevent his son from having the life he once had. That was his redemption. The tragic part being that ironically his son still ended up becoming an outlaw by killing the agent, his death being the facilitator. Which means John's attempt to create a peaceful life for his son remains bittersweet and untrue.
So speaking on a general viewpoint, what are your thoughts on important deaths in mediums? Was there a specific death that affected you on a profound perspective? Was there an iconic death, you cared little for? Explain.
Mary Ann is your not so average Canadian renaissance woman incognito; who if you hang around long enough will make your ears bleed with tales of glory, truculent hockey men and billingualism. She doesn't like fanzords and keeps sexual fairies in her pockets; whatever that means.