Should You Kill Off Your Main Character?

Killing off a main character is one of the most daring moves a writer can make. It defies convention, stuns audiences, and, when done right, leaves a lasting emotional impact. But it also risks alienating your readers or undermining your narrative. So the question is: should you kill off your protagonist when you're writing your novel?

Is it Okay to Kill the Main Character?

The short answer: yes, but only if it serves the story.

Killing off a main character is not inherently bad or good, as usual, it all depends on context. If the character’s death feels earned, if it drives the plot, develops the themes, or leaves readers with a deeper understanding of the story, it can be one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal.

On the other hand, a poorly executed protagonist death can feel cheap, manipulative, or simply pointless. It’s essential to ask: What does this death achieve? If the answer is clear and meaningful, you may be onto something.

10 Reasons Why You Should Kill Your Protagonist

Narrative Shock Value

When used sparingly and with purpose, a protagonist’s death can deliver an unforgettable shock. Readers often expect the main character to survive. I mean, come on, the story revolves around them, right? RIGHT? Well...

Killing a main character upends that assumption, creating a visceral reaction. It can reignite interest, keep your audience on edge, and signal that your story plays by different rules.

Theme Reinforcement

Sometimes a character’s death isn’t just a plot point, it’s the thematic core of the story. If your novel grapples with loss, sacrifice, fate, justice, or redemption, the protagonist's demise can serve as the ultimate embodiment of that theme. Their death becomes a message.

Emotional Impact

Readers are emotionally invested in the main character. If you've your job right, they’ve walked in their shoes, shared their dreams, and rooted for their success. When that character dies, it hurts. And that pain can be a powerful emotional anchor, one that leaves your audience thinking about your story long after the final page.

A Catalyst for Change

Sometimes the protagonist’s death is the necessary spark for transformation in others. Their sacrifice might inspire secondary characters to rise, push the world to change, or bring hidden truths to light. The death shifts the balance and forces new growth. Think about The Hunger Games: Rue's death is a turning point for Katniss.

A Twist Ending

If your story is heading toward a clear resolution, killing the main character near the end can subvert expectations and deliver a stunning final twist. It can reshape the entire narrative and leave readers reinterpreting everything that came before. It works particularly well with thrillers.

Subverting Tropes

Genres are often built on conventions: the hero wins, the good survive, love triumphs. Killing the protagonist pushes back against these tropes, creating a more unpredictable, and often more realistic, narrative. It tells your audience, “This is not the story you think it is.”

Making a Statement

Sometimes death is a form of protest. Killing a character can be a narrative tool to comment on societal issues: violence, oppression, racism, inequality. If the death is unjust or unnecessary within the story, it might mirror injustices in the real world. An avoidable death is infuriating.

Building a Legacy

Even in death, a protagonist can remain the story’s heart. Their legacy, whether it’s a cause they fought for, people they inspired, or ideals they embodied, can live on in the story’s resolution. This is especially powerful in epic tales or generational narratives. It also gives the best ground for villains to twist the legacy and the narrative.

Enhancing Realism

In genres rooted in realism (war dramas, survival fiction, dystopias), keeping your protagonist alive can sometimes feel artificial. Real life is cruel and often unfair. Killing the main character can reflect that brutal honesty, adding emotional and narrative weight. All Quiet on the Western Front is the perfect example.

You’re Writing a Tragedy

If you're working within the tragic genre, the protagonist's downfall (often ending in death) is the narrative’s spine.

How to Properly Kill Off the Main Character

1. Plant the Seeds Early
   Foreshadow the possibility. Let your audience sense that death is on the table. This builds tension and avoids shock for shock’s sake.
2. Give It Meaning
   Make sure the death contributes to the story. Is it a sacrifice? A consequence? A resolution? Tie it to your story’s heart.
3. Time It Right
   The death should come at a meaningful moment. Too early and readers may disengage. Too late and it might feel rushed.
4. Let Them Die True to Themselves
   A death scene should reflect the character’s personality, values, and arc. Cowards don’t become heroes in their last breath, unless that’s the point.
5. Show Aftermath and Grief
   Don’t just move on. Let secondary characters and the world react. This reinforces the death’s importance and humanizes the story.

How to Make a Character Death Sad

1. Build Deep Reader Attachment: The more your audience cares about the character, the more they’ll feel the loss. Give them virtues, flaws (especially fatal flaws), relationships, and a compelling arc.
2. Develop Relationships: Let the audience see who this character matters to. Death becomes more tragic when we see the pain of those left behind.
3. Create a Sense of Hope: Dashing a reader’s hope is one of the most effective ways to induce sorrow. If the protagonist was about to succeed or find peace, their death hits harder.
4. Make It Personal: Don’t just describe the death, show the sights, sounds, regrets, final words. Personalize the moment to create emotional resonance.
5. Use Silence and Reflection: After the death, give the narrative space to breathe. Reflection often carries more emotional weight than action.

Killing Off the Main Character: Examples in Books

Atonement by Ian McEwan - The revelation that Robbie and Cecilia die off-page is quietly devastating and alters how readers interpret the story.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy - The father's slow decline and death at the end of the novel is inevitable, tragic, and deeply moving, especially given the bond with his son.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Death, as the narrator, introduces the impermanence of life from the start. Liesel’s family and close friends die, highlighting the brutality of war.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling - Harry willingly dies to save others, a moment that resonates because we’ve followed his journey over seven books. Though he comes back, the moment is still poignant.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare - Shakespeare doesn’t shy away from main character deaths. Hamlet’s death marks the culmination of a tragic, blood-soaked narrative arc.

Other Examples in Movies and TV Shows

Game of Thrones (TV) - Ned Stark’s death in Season 1 is a masterclass in unexpected protagonist removal. It taught viewers that no one is safe.

Braveheart - William Wallace's execution is not just a sad ending, it’s the climax of his ideological struggle, making it both tragic and meaningful.

Logan - The death of Wolverine is raw, violent, and deeply emotional, especially given his bond with Laura and the arc of his character over multiple films.

Titanic - Jack’s death not only serves the story’s emotional climax but also solidifies the film’s tragic love story.

Children of Men - Theo’s death at the end of the film underscores the cost of hope and the resilience of humanity, adding to the story’s emotional gravity.

Killing your main character is a bold narrative decision. It shouldn’t be made for shock alone but when done with purpose and craft, it can elevate a story. Before you swing the axe, be sure you know why you’re doing it, how it will resonate with your audience, and what your story will become in its aftermath.