25 Movie Characters Who Should Have Died But Didn't

We love our film heroes. Manly men like John McClane (Bruce Willis in Die Hard) and Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon) do things that we could never do. They sleep with women who are out of our league, find treasures beyond our wildest dreams, and kick ass without hesitation. But, sometimes, they live lives that are so beyond far-fetched that it's ridiculous.

Look, we get it. You're an excellent marksman. You're trained in every form of martial arts known to man. The gods favor you. But could you really waste a room full of elite Nazi zombie warlocks and emerge without so much as a scratch? When one of them actually shot you…in the head…twice…with a rocket launcher?

Sometimes Hollywood gets carried away with the feats of its heroes. While folks love seeing our favorite cowboys and cops in combat, when the pile of bodies is so high that you can no longer see out the window, something's got to give. Here are 25 Movie Characters Who Should Have Died But Didn’t.

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Written by Brenden Gallagher (@muddycreekU)

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Played by: Tom Hardy
As seen in: Lawless (2012)

No matter how often one may entertain thoughts to the contrary, booze is not an elixir of immortality. That being said, how else to account for bootlegger Forrest Bondurant surviving numerous shootings and a throat slashing? It's unclear as to how he routinely cheats death, but it's worth nothing that—SPOILER ALERT, but not really, since Lawless is based on real people—booze gets him in the end, as he drunkenly does a jig on a frozen pond, breaks through the ice, and climbs out, only to succumb to pneumonia.

Maybe it was nature's sense of irony that kept him alive through the bullet wounds, only to be undone by the liquor that provided his livelihood. If this is some sort of morality tale, it didn't work. We're going to keep drinking whiskey so we can at least feel like we can live forever.

Played by: Tony Shalhoub
As seen in: Men in Black (1997), Men in Black II (2002)

To be both a successful pawn shop owner and an extra-terrestrial gun dealer, you have to stay cool and not lose you're head—sorry, couldn't resist. Most of the people on this list are heroes and immortals, tasked with some special mission or saddled with some inner drive that keeps them moving past the grave and towards their goals. Jeebs, on the other hand, is just a small-time crook who regenerates his head.

It's a nifty approach to casual immortality—his regeneration isn't unlike recovering from a stubbed toe or a paper cut. Jeebs uses his abilities quite nefariously: He isn't afraid to get underhanded in his dealings. Because, hey, what's the worst that can happen?

Played by: Hugo Weaving
As seen in: V for Vendetta (2005)

V certainly is given to more literary flourishes than the other characters on the list. It's hard to imagine John McClane taking time out of his mission to wax philosophical and construct alliterative lists.

So it's only fitting that rather than, say, citing magic or sheer toughness when taking dozens of bullets without dying, V opts for a metaphor: "Beneath this mask, there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask is an idea, Mr. Creedy, and ideas are bulletproof." Granted, V was also protected by a metal breastplate, but that doesn't make his statement any less poetic.

Played by: Gia Carides
As seen in: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

Though Mr. Powers himself (Mike Myers) feels decidedly more, um, mortal than the more serious secret agents like James Bond, some of his enemies are seriously impossible to kill. Devious sexpot Robin Swallows, for instance, is mowed down by a machine gun, stabbed in the back, blasted with a rocket launcher, and knocked off the edge of a building. Which all prompts Austin to ask the question that we would pose to every character on this list: "Why won't you die?"

Played by: Ian McKellen
As seen in: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Changing from Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White feels like a "Prince becomes the Artist Formerly Known As Prince" move, or "Garth Brooks morphs into Chris Gaines," but it's actually far more substantial than that. The dude actually died. But, the Gods were like, "No, man, there's no way a bunch of hairy, tea-loving midgets are going to get this thing done—you have to go back." And back he went, more powerful than before.

Later on, some others try to kill him by throwing a large orb at him, but Gandalf basically laughs it off. Like a boss.

Played by: Steven Seagal
As seen in: Hard to Kill (1990)

That's right, folks, it tells you right there in the title: This dude is hard to kill. The film is not called Relatively Easy to Kill, or even Not that Hard to Kill, so you know that when it looks like Steven Seagal's character is dispatched, having been shot up by a team of corrupt killer cops, we're just getting started. And thank God.

If he had died early on, instead of going into a coma and awakening years later, viewers would never get the opportunity to use one-liners like, "I'm gonna take you to the bank, Senator Trent—to the blood bank!" Not to mention, action heads would've been deprived of the film's climactic billiard table fight.

Played by: Jason Statham
As seen in: Crank (2006), Crank: High Voltage (2009)

For those of you who haven't seen the cinematic masterpiece that is Crank, it's basically Speed, but Jason Stratham is the bus.

The deal is that Statham's character, Chev Chelios, will die if he doesn't keep his adrenaline up. He does this the only way Hollywood antiheroes knows how: getting into gunfights and sexcapades while taking a bunch of drugs. Chev avoids any number of certain deaths, but towards the end of the film, we think that Chev has met finally met his maker after falling from a helicopter to the unforgiving cement below.

Fear not, loyal fans, because Chev survives this one too, only to come back in the inexplicable 2009 sequel with an artificial heart that needs electrical shocks to continue operating. Crank: High Voltage is more ridiculous than the first, but it does have far more strippers than the original, which is a bonus.

Played by: Kurt Russell
As seen in: Escape from New York (1981), Escape from L.A. (1996)

Everybody is shocked that Snake doesn't die in the standout action flick Escape from New York, even the movie's other characters. Every time he enters a new spot, someone there remarks that they thought he was already dead. It's made so clear, in fact, that, after being told for the umpteenth time, "I thought you were dead," Mr. Plissken angrily responds, "Yeah? So did everybody else!"

You can't blame the degenerates of the Big Apple for the thinking the dude was toast, though. In addition to being asked to rescue the president from a Manhattan overrun by criminals, he gets a bomb planted inside of him, just for good measure.

Played by: Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn
As seen in: Death Becomes Her (1992)

Sometimes immortality is reserved for heroes and villains—other times, it's given by chance to catty bitches. In Death Becomes Her, Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn play two women who fight over the affections of Bruce Willis, and basically everything else.

Their personal game of "Keeping up with the Jones-ettes" goes to a whole new level when they get their hands on a potion that will keep them lovely and youthful forever. The only problem is that unnatural wounds like gunshots holes and broken necks, aren't part of the "Forever Young" deal. Given that these two would like nothing more than to see the other fall, their janky, wounded version immortality is quickly revealed to be more curse than blessing.

Played by: Jason Marsden
As seen in: Hocus Pocus (1993)

Don't ever cross a witch—or else you may find yourself turned into an immortal cat. Now, immortality sounds awesome, but what would you do with neverending life besides read a lot of books, get laid a bunch, and travel?

Guess what? Being a cat makes all of these things exceedingly difficult. So all Binx can do is guard a house and try to play in traffic from time to time in vain hopes of ending his misery. Worst immortality ever.

Played by: Keanu Reeves
As seen in: The Matrix (1999), The Matrix: Reloaded (2003), The Matrix: Revolutions (2003)

Similar to Keanu Reeves' acting career, Neo just won't die, despite the best efforts of many. Normally, powers to cheat death come from within, whether through a potion or a thirst for revenge. In the Matrix, though, Neo's power comes from learning the secrets of the world around him.

This is because the world that he's in isn't a real world, but a computer simulated one. The problem for harvested humans hooked up to the Matrix is that if they perceive themselves to have died in the fake place, their brain and heart give out in the real world. Once Neo, a.k.a. the One, is enlightened, he can see that the bullets speeding towards him are merely computer code and stop them with his mind. If only our collective brain power could prevent Reeves from landing roles that should go to far better actors.

Played by: Bill Murray
As seen in: Groundhog Day (1993)

Groundhog Day protagonist Phil (Bill Murray) does what most of us would do if we were fated to live a day over and over again: He seduces women, eats junk food, and drives like an asshole.

Eventually, this grows tired and the man tries to end his life in a number of ways, including pulling a Thelma & Louise with America's favorite groundhog riding shotgun. It's hard to blame the guy for developing suicidal tendencies, as Harold Ramis, the film's co-writer/director, estimated the time that Phil spent trapped in February 2nd at 40 years.

Played by: Cary Elwes
As seen in: The Princess Bride (1987)

As though it weren't enough to "kill the guy off" in the first 10 minutes at the vile hands of the Dread Pirate Roberts, pretty much every plot twist thereafter involves Westley cheating death. Whether he's falling down a cliff, getting beaten by a giant, or tricked into drinking poison by the smartest man in the world, Westley avoids doom at every turn.

Just when you think the guy has finally beaten the odds, however, he is strapped to a machine that's meant to literally suck the life out of him, and left "mostly dead." But, come on, the dude had true love, Miracle Max, Andre the Giant, and Mandy Patinkin on his side—it's not like he was going to lose.

Played by: Matt Damon
As seen in: The Bourne Identity (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), The Bourne Legacy (2012)

There's a reason that other Matt Damon vehicles—like The Legend of Bagger Vance, Good Will Hunting, and The Brothers Grimm—don't have sequels, though Damon exudes his relentless charm in all of his films. Only in his turn as a James Bond with amnesia is he that much of a badass.

And it's important for every badass to cheat death, because, well, what else can make you such a badass? Not much. Damon doesn't disappoint, dodging the Grim Reaper—whether he's miraculously surviving a gunshot that erases his memory, avoiding other bullets, or easily getting back up after major scrapes and falls—without even knowing who the hell he, and almost everyone else, is.

Played by: Uma Thurman
As seen in: Kill Bill: Volume I (2003), Kill Bill: Volume II (2004)

There are no bells or whistles with Beatrix Kiddo. No magic potions, future technologies, or Matrices protect her. She gets her toughness the old-fashioned way: through white-hot revenge.

This thirst for vengeance helps her survive being shot in the head and chest, raped, and buried alive on her way to finally exacting revenge on the self-described "murdering bastard" who put her in a four-year coma in the first place.

Played by: Arnold Schwarzenegger
As seen in: The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

We don't need to remind you that Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator was tough to kill. The only thing that could finally kill it in T2 was human love, which is traditionally, like, the strongest weapon ever or whatever. Apparently, it's strong enough to help a cyborg come back from being crushed and melted into silvery goo.

The only thing with a longer shelf life than the Terminator is his catchphrase "I'll be back." The obnoxiously overused quote has existed in some form in every Terminator film, been driven into the ground by any number of parodies, and was even laid down in cement here.

Played by: Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern
As seen in: Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

With more pratfalls than a Vaudeville reunion show, Home Alone really lays it down hard on the Wet Bandits. Luckily, the Internet has compiled several montages of all the pranks in the film, including this one, so you can lose the morality tale about the importance of family or whatever other bullshit they tried to cram in to justify said pratfalls. (Thanks for ruining Christmas, Kevin, you dick.)

Just enjoy Daniel Stern doing what he does best, shrieking and falling, as both he and Joe Pesci endure their heads being set on fire, long nails pressed into their feet, bricks dropped on their heads, and other definitely painful mishaps.

Played by: John Cleese
As seen in: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

Some guys just don't know when to quit. John Cleese's Black Knight gets all four of his limbs involuntarily amputated and still comes back for more, insisting his gaping wounds are "just a scratch" and that "he's had worse." The Black Knight isn't the only person in the film to remind you that he's "not dead yet," as the less glamorous side of mortality is a running theme throughout.

It's too bad the Pythons didn't have the persistent longevity of the Knight. Comedy nerds can't help but get wistful when they remember that the team produced three feature films (not counting the classic, highly influential sketch comedy series Monty Python's Flying Circus).

Played by: Christopher Lambert
As seen in: Highlander (1986), Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), Highlander: The Final Dimension (1994), Highlander: Endgame (2000)

Life seems pretty cozy for an immortal. Connor MacLeod and his ilk get to travel around bedding babes and buying expensive art. But, no, it can't be that easy. The few immortals who exist are imbued with the need to kill each other so that they can be the last ones surviving and claim "The Prize." And, somehow, Connor continually puts off his inevitable visit to a coffin.

Of course, they aren't even sure what "The Prize" is, but hey, you have to try right? It's said to be "ultimate power and knowledge," but wouldn't the power of immortality be enough, and wouldn't you acquire knowledge naturally by living forever? It hardly seems worth all that cheating-death-over-and-over-again effort.

Voiced by: Mel Blanc
As seen in: Looney Tunes (1952-present)

If any of you out there have dreams and have been told "never give up," or, "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again," then it's worth reminding you about a cartoon from your childhood with a different moral lesson.

Over the course of 50-plus years—and what one can only assume is millions of dollars in credit card debt to ACME—Wile E. Coyote never got the one thing he wanted most: the satisfaction derived from killing that damn Road Runner. All the dirty dog succeeded in was blowing himself up, falling immense distances, and regularly dropping anvils on himself. The 'toon deserves props for persistence, though, as he has cheated death more than every other character on this list combined.

Played by: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, David Niven, George Lazenby, Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig
As seen in: Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973), The Man With the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill (1985), The Living Daylights (1987), License to Kill (1989), GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World is Not Enough (1999), Die Another day (2002), Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012)

"No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die."

Well, Goldfinger, you best keep on expecting. One estimate puts the number of times Bond has been under fire at 4,662. Though, when you also get to sleep with 60 gorgeous women in that time-frame, we suppose it all balances out.

Even though Bond has been presumed dead in several films, the iconic 007 character has endured through eight actors and a whole lot of promiscuous sexual activity. Perhaps at this point, supervillains should modify their expectations: "No, Mr. Bond, I don't expect you to die based on previous scenarios, but damn it, I'm going to try."

Played by: Bruce Willis
As seen in: Die Hard (1988), Die Hard 2 (1990), Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995), Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

John McClane is another one of those characters who won't let anything get in his way, except himself. Sure, he has no problem taking down a terrorist group, whether they're attempting to take out a skyscraper, an airport, the federal reserve, or the entirety of the nation's infrastructure. When the work and killer cowboy one-liners are done and he returns to his "normal life," however, you can bet that McClane will devolve into a cynical, family-alienating alcoholic. It's strange, but it seems that's what Americans love about their heroes.

We happily believe that this dude can kill scores of men or take out a helicopter with a power line without emerging from the ordeals without so much as a scratch. But we prefer that his marriage always be in shambles and that the chief believes he's "too much of a maverick," and that it might be a good idea if he hands over his badge.

Played by: Will Sandin, Tony Moran, Nick Castle, Dick Warlock, George P. Wilbur, Don Shanks, Chris Durand, Brad Loree, Daeg Faerch, Tyler Mane, Chase Wright Vanek
As seen in: Halloween (1978), Halloween II (1981), Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Meyers (1988), Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989), Halloween: The Curse of Michael Meyers (1995), Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (2002), Halloween (2007), Halloween II (2009)

Much like Hollywood's other Michael Myers, this dude just won't go away. Normally, if a film ends with the main character's death, it's hard to work out plans for a sequel. As 1978's seminal Halloween draws to a close, the escaped mental patient Myers gets blown off a balcony's ledge by gunfire (after being wounded previously by badass horror heroine Laurie Strode.

Meyers has "died" in every Halloween film (except for the underrated oddity Halloween III: Season of the Witch, which is Meyers-free), including being set on fire at the end of Halloween II. Yet, we don't doubt the possibility of the white-masked killer more times on the silver screen. More actors have played Myers than almost any other character you can think of, outstripping even James Bond, as 11 different actors have donned the William-Shatner-inspired mask.

Played by: Sylvester Stallone
As seen in: First Blood (1982), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Rambo III (1988), Rambo (2008)

It's easy to forget that the bandana-wearing warrior's story began innocently enough in Ted Kotcheff's anti-war action film First Blood, as Rambo returned from war and just wanted to find his place in the world. If the conservative constabulary of the small Washington town he ended up in hadn't harassed him for having long hair, he might not have gotten so much blood on his hands. And he probably wouldn't have been forced to withstand multiple bullet wounds, crashing helicopters, and rocket missiles being fired in his direction.

If a podunk town sheriff hadn't judged Rambo's "drifter" looks, dozens of lives, thousands of bullets, and hours of late-night cable programming would have been saved. But, then again, we wouldn't want to live in an America without John Rambo.

Played by: Mel Gibson
As seen in: Lethal Weapon (1987), Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

Much like Rambo, Riggs was a highly trained Vietnam vet. Unlike Rambo, Riggs is an incorrigible smart-ass and big-time Three Stooges fan. Another way that Riggs is different than the others on this list is that he wants to die.

Wracked with guilt over his wife's death, Riggs has some nasty suicidal tendencies that exacerbate his reckless behavior. In no particular order, he's been dragged over concrete by a moving vehicle, taken an axe to the skull, received multiple gunshots, and been jabbed by knives. All in a day's work the L.A.P.D. Homicide Sergeant.

Though the things he says and does often get him into trouble (in Lethal Weapon 3, he turns tallying his many wounds into foreplay), you can't help but love him. As of press time, Mel Gibson wished that the same was true of the things he said and did.