History Main / TheHeroDies

* ''[[https://www.wattpad.com/story/325408590-the-frozen-heart%27s-star The Frozen Heart's Star]]'' plays a tamer version this trope with Franchise/{{Kirby}} where our pink hero is completely frozen to death... but that still doesn't make it better by the fact that Dream Land was also put in an Main/EndlessWinter because of it.

* John Freeman dies in the final chapter of ''Fanfic/HalfLifeFullLifeConsequences'', having stayed behind to fight the Combines while his son evacuates, and being caught in the "hug tower's" explosion. He gets a [[OurFounder statue]] out of the deal, and his son becomes president.
* Flechte dies at the end of ''[[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/109581/1/i-did-not-want-to-die/i-did-not-want-to-die I Did Not Want To Die]]'', in one of the most heartbreaking instances of this trope in fanfiction.
* The main character dies in the Pokemon fanfic ''FanFic/NoAntidote''.
* In ''Fanfic/ASadStory,'' Literature/HarryPotter dies.

* [[WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls Bubbles]] in the third of the ''Fanfic/ImmortalitySyndrome'' series, ''Solitary Vigil'' while succeeding in [[SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong fixing the past]].
* ''Fanfic/SomeSemblanceOfMeaning'': at the end of the 44th [[Literature/TheHungerGames Hunger Games]], [[TheProtagonist Vale]] dies, leaving [[{{Deuteragonist}} Obsidian]] as the winner of the Games.

* In ''Fanfic/BeingDeadAintEasy'', Joey Wheeler dies in the very first chapter. The story centers around his un-life as he tries to figure out what happened and how to fix it, if he can.
* In ''Fanfic/ZeldasHonor'', Link himself dies not once, but twice. The first time, his resurrection comes with a Deus Ex Machina plot device via Navi; however, the second time he dies, it is for real.

* In ''Fanfic/AshesOfThePast'', Ash has died a few times over the course of the fic, from dying of blood loss while fighting Mewtwo himself, blocking attacks from the Primals, and getting [[NoBodyLeftBehind vaporized]] by Primal Dialga. Luckily, he has [[DeathIsNotPermanent Ho-Oh's Sacred Ash]] to bring him BackFromTheDead, but he only has so much of it...
* A few times during the course of ''Fanfic/BeyondHeroes: Of Sunshine and Red Lyrium'', [[Franchise/DragonAge Varric]] (the narrator) has excellent reason to think that the Inquisitor has died for one reason or another, and while he acknowledges that a good story often involves a heroic death, this isn't the story he wants to tell.
* ''Fanfic/TheBlackStallion'' starts with the black stallion coming for a pony. As it turns out, he's there for the protagonist, who is killed by a hungry nyru.
* In ''Series/Numb3rs'' story ''Fanfic/DonEppes'', Don dies after being taken off life support after being shot multiple times while trying to save some kids and flatlining twenty minutes earlier.
* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8299370/1/Destiny-of-a-Savior Destiny of a Savior]]'' (a crossover fanfiction between ''Anime/YuGiOh'' and ''Literature/HarryPotter''), Yugi Muto dies in his attempt of protecting Ryou Bakura from Narcissa Malfoy's killing curse during The Battle of Hogwarts. His death provides enough distraction for Harry to outdo Lord Voldemort by probably few milliseconds in a wizard duel, giving him slight advantage. Apart from several Yu-Gi-Oh!'s characters involvement, [[DoomedByCanon Voldemort's fate is the same as in the seventh novel]].
* In ''Fanfic/UnderTheBigTop'', Castiel dies by suicide at the end of the story.

* ''[[https://www.wattpad.com/story/325408590-the-frozen-heart%27s-star The Frozen Heart's Star]]'' plays a tamer version this trope with Franchise/{{Kirby}} where our pink hero is completely frozen to death... but that still doesn't make it better by the fact that Dream Land was also put in an Main/EndlessWinter because of it.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': After using up all three Calamity Gems to defeat [[BigBad The Core]], [[Characters/AmphibiaAnneBoonchuy Anne Boonchuy]] eventually [[TooMuchForManToHandle succumbs to the Gems’ power]] and gets ReducedToDust. Thankfully, due to being the only person to use them Gems’ power for good, the GuardianOfTheMultiverse gives her a second chance and a new body, ressurecting her.

* Jean Valjean in ''Theatre/LesMiserables''. Also, pretty much everyone else in the cast... except the lovers Marius and Cosette, and the two most horrible people in the entire play - The Thenadiers - who become rich in addition to living. Pretty dramatic example of the trope.

* While it's due to its nature as an {{Elseworld}} story, the last chapter of the ''ComicBook/BatmanVampire'' trilogy sees many deaths--including Bruce Wayne himself (granted, he was a FallenHero by that point, having given into vampirsim). In fact, Bruce's death is the last death shown.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': After using up all three Calamity Gems to defeat [[BigBad The Core]], [[Characters/AmphibiaAnneBoonchuy Anne Boonchuy]] eventually [[TooMuchForManToHandle succumbs to the Gems’ power]] and gets ReducedToDust. Thankfully, due to being the only person to use them Gems’ power for good, the GuardianOfTheMultiverse gives her a second chance and a new body. However, it is just a copy, meaning that the original Anne is well and truly dead.

** In ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManDanSlott'' #700, Peter dies in ComicBook/DoctorOctopus's sickly body in a failed attempt to reclaim his body from Octavius after the villain switched their minds via an Octobot during ''Dying Wish''. However, Peter ensures he won't leave the world without a successor by actually ''convincing'' Otto to change his ways by having Ock experience memories of his ''entire life'', to which the villain does vow to his dying foe to carry on as the ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan, before Peter succumbs to his wounds. However, Parker's soul still remained in his body and tried to influence Otto, knowing that despite his promise, a former supervillain's idea of doing good doesn't align with his own moral code, as Otto is far more prone to brutality than Peter typically allowed. His influence becomes so frequent, to the point when Otto was actually doing unquestionable ''good'': performing brain surgery on a little girl with a tumor, Peter desperately tries to hide his presence, preventing Otto from scanning her brain in fear he will use it on himself. This turns out to be true as Otto ''does'' enact this, finding out Peter still lived within him. Refusing to give Peter his life back, they battle in their minds as Spider-Man, but using the fact Peter almost let someone die to protect himself to demoralize him, Otto pummels him and this time tries to finish him off by deleting his consciousness in revenge, seemingly killing Peter for good. However, Peter still grips on and by ''Goblin Nation'', the final arc of ''Superior Spider-Man'', Peter finally manages to convince Octavius to give him his body back as he has ultimately failed in his tenure as Spider-Man, and Otto admits that no one else is worthy of the name but Peter himself, expelling his own mind.
** ''ComicBook/SpiderManLifeStory'' ends with Peter sending back his [[LegacyCharacter successor]] ComicBook/MilesMorales to Earth using the remaining escape pod in the GreaterScopeVillain's space base in order for him [[TakingYouWithMe to detonate said base]].

* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':

%%* ''ComicBook/TheSandman''.

* The penultimate arc of ''ComicBook/TheSandman1989'' ends with Morpheus dying and his title as Dream of the Endless passing to Daniel Hall.

* In ''Literature/{{Firewing}}'', Shade the Bat kills himself in the Bat Underworld to give his son, Griffin, and his friend, Luna, life force to feed on and become living, breathing bats again. In the end, he still survives, but in the form of the foliage of the forest floor. When he's dead, he flies around the world and can be anything he wants to be.

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':

** In ''Amazing Spider-Man #700'', 616-Peter as well. He came back at the end of ''ComicBook/SuperiorSpiderMan''.

* Túrin from "Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin" ends up throwing himself on his sword after finding out his pregnant wife was his sister Niënor and she has killed herself upon finding out. His father Húrin later throws himself into the sea. Some other writings of Tolkien claim Túrin will come back to life to kill the dragon Ancalagon the Black or [[GodOfEvil Morgoth]] who had cursed his family but this is unclear.

* The Fire Thief Trilogy has Prometheus trying to find a human hero to prove that him giving fire to humans was a good thing, while chased by the Avenger. He has to uncover a hero to the city he visits by traveling through time, only to discover that through some back tracking, he's the hero the town celebrates. The avenger crushes his body and takes him to the afterlife after a few good-byes.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'': After using up all three Calamity Gems to defeat [[BigBad The Core]], Anne eventually [[TooMuchForManToHandle succumbs to the Gems’ power]] and gets ReducedToDust. Thankfully, due to being the only person to use them Gems’ power for good, the GuardianOfTheMultiverse gives her a second chance and a new body. However, it is just a copy, meaning that the original Anne is well and truly dead.
* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'': Aang is killed by a lightning blast to the back from [[HeroKiller Azula.]] While Aang ''was'' resurrected a few minutes later, his death had disastrous consequences. Namely, the Fire Nation took over the Earth Kingdom (their only obstacle to world domination besides Aang himself) and Aang was rendered unable to use the [[SuperMode Avatar State]] until the final episode.

** The episode "Sense and Insensitivity" primarily focuses on Luz and King working together on a novel starring their own self-insert characters for a writing contest. King ends up rewriting the story behind Luz's back and kills off her character, which understandably leaves her feeling rather bitter.
** Luz herself eventually falls prey to this in the GrandFinale when she ends up blocking one of Belos's attacks to protect the Collector, though unlike with King's story [[DisneyDeath it isn't permenant]].

* Granted Dr. Druid was a FallenHero when it happened, but ''ComicBook/Druid1995'' ends with Druid being murdered by Damion Hellstorm and Nekra, his body set on fire, and the body being tossed into a dumpster.

!!''Warning:'' This is both a SpoileredRotten and a DeathTrope, meaning that EVERY SINGLE EXAMPLE on this list is a spoiler by default and will be unmarked. [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned This is your last warning]], only proceed if you really believe you can handle this list. That being said, it's also possible that examples may involve subversions or multiple protagonists.

!!''Note:'' This is both a SpoileredRotten and a DeathTrope, meaning that EVERY SINGLE EXAMPLE on this list is a spoiler by default and will be unmarked. [[Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned This is your last warning]], only proceed if you really believe you can handle this list. That being said, it's also possible that examples may involve subversions or multiple protagonists.

* The protagonist of the ''Literature/IRichardPlantangenetSeries'' is UsefulNotes/RichardIII and the story culminates with his [[DefiantToTheEnd death at Bosworth Field]].

* The protagonist of the ''Literature/IRichardPlantangetSeries'' is UsefulNotes/RichardIII and the story culminates with his [[DefiantToTheEnd death at Bosworth Field]].