(i really dont mean this in a rude way i swear) how are character deaths significant? (i mean lee is pretty self explanatory) but most people are saying character deaths are for shock value,, i guess im asking how they are significant and whats your pov on 'shock value deaths' ?
I accidentally wrote a novel about death so here it is!!!
Deaths are just a storytelling tool that can be used in a variety of ways. It really just depends on the story you are trying to tell and the emotions you are trying to create in the viewer. Shock value isn’t even inherently bad, sometime having something shocking occur gives more weight or stakes for the rest of your story, or simply provides a spike of interest in your pacing. Here’s a couple kind of deaths!
Plot Changing: GOT is famous for deaths that change the entire course of the narrative. Ned Stark and Robb Stark being the most infamous and for good reason. Their deaths ripple outward into the story and cause almost all the characters the viewer care about to go through changes (and changes are the most entertaining things a character can go through) We crave progression in our stories, especially in the modern era of media.
And at the risk of tooting twdg’s horn: Marlon is one of these. His death serves many storytelling purposes, teaches us about all the survivors and pushes Clem and AJ’s arc forward for the rest of the season.
I don’t really think types of storytelling tool should be ‘ranked’ but this kind of death is generally considered the ‘best’ by audiences. This is really due to the simple fact that the story and world react to the death. It’s shocking to the viewer AND the characters, and is not quickly forgotten, similar to a death in real life. So in general I’d say it’s actually less the death itself than the follow up that causes a death to be meaningful or not. Characters can die at seemingly random and in the blink of an eye but if the survivors and the story react and changes due to the death then it’s a good one in my book.
Arc Completing: The runner up would be deaths that complete a character arc. If by the act of dying the character feels complete and rounded these are also viewed well generally. Lee is a prime example, as is Kenny dying for Ben (which whoops no he didn’t, but at the moment, fantastic)
Then we have the various flavors of “shock value” deaths which aren’t as significant to the plot but also have many valid reasons for being used.
1. Tone Setting
- You can kill someone off early in your story to establish what kind of world/story this is gonna be. The cop at the start of S1 is a good example. People are gonna die and walkers gonna eat, tone set instantly. Character that died probably not super important, but serves their purpose. RE2 Remake has a similar cop death right at the start too.
2. Stake Raising
- if the story is trying to maintain a narrative tension of “anyone could die” then really, someone has to die in order to keep that tension alive. Deaths keep the audience on their toes and make us believe that the protagonists are in more danger than they might actually be. This is better done with a character of some narrative importance but not so much that their death changes the overall plot (sorry Mitch fans)
3. Goons
- Usually a videogame or action movie trope, these deaths are the least significant of all, and are largely just mechanical obstacles for the player/hero. These goons aren’t really ‘characters’ and their deaths are usually brushed aside with little focus. They serve their purpose but are of little meaning.
So that’s a lot but I think my big point is all kinds of death can be valid as long as used in the right kind of what. A shocking death is just a valid a storytelling tool as a big dramatic character arc ending death for whatever you are trying to achieve. I think the deaths people view most negatively are when long running characters receive super brief deaths and then no one reacts to it and the world continues to turn. It can make the investment you placed in that character feel wasted. But sometimes that also means that it worked?! If you feel upset that a character dies you probably felt something for that character when they were alive, and as long as the other survivors feel something too, then I think it’s a good death.
