SPOILERS FOR SKYWARD SWORD, METAL GEAR SOLID 3, BIRTH BY SLEEP, GOD OF WAR, HALF-LIFE, ASSASSINS' CREED II, PHOENIX WRIGHT: ACE ATTORNEY, DISHONORED, AND THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU
You read that right. This isn't some blog about "oh, this person's death was sad", or that one person died in the most beautiful fashion, to get the biggest emotional impact. Rather, this is going to be about those deaths that were most significant in gaming. These deaths are ones that had an everlasting impact upon the worlds they inhabit, and so, for this reason, deaths like Aerith's have been omitted, because from my understanding, her death doesn't have a lasting impact (she could've done the spell if she was alive).
This is the only real death that's not a spoiler. :P
If anyone's going to be like "blah blah why isn't John Marston here" or something, know two things: one, this is about characters who, again, had a lasting impact on their own worlds in dying. It's not like "oh this person caused someone to get petty revenge"-it's that the person dying maybe led to that world being saved, or caused a revolution, or the future to have a very different outcome. And the second thing? My list, so if you have any qualms, you can say them, but I came up with this list.
10. Empress Kaldwin
The Empress dying caused a ripple in the world of Dishonored-Hiram Burrows was able to take over, the plague only grew worse, and Corvo Attano was imprisoned. Her death deeply affected her killer, Daud, and caused Corvo Attano to rip through Dunwall, causing much disruption, and changed the fate of Dunwall, and the islands that it was a part of. We may not know the everlasting effects of her death at the moment, but I think it can be safely said that her death is a very important one.
9. Ezio's Family
At the beginning of Assassins' Creed II, Ezio Auditore is a happy young lad, running around, having fun with the ladies, and racing his brother up rooftops. However, a little ways into the game, both his two brothers and his father are hanged for treason, and by someone who was a friend to their family, nonetheless. This act is what spurs Ezio to pursue revenge against the Templars, and those who conspired against his family, and this leads to him becoming the Master Assassin. Sure, he may have become an assassin even if they'd lived, but would be have pursued it at such tenacity? Probably not. The death of his family had such a profound effect on him, that he became this great assassin, and forever shaped the order, and also indirectly aided Desmond in his own quest.
8. Master Eraqus
Master Eraqus falls at the hands of Master Xehanort, after Terra weakens him following Eraqus' attempt to erase Ventus. His death is significant because it's a dark point for Terra, Aqua, and Ventus, and helps lead them all to the Keyblade Graveyard, where they face Vanitas and Master Xehanort, and the world of Kingdom Hearts is changed forever.
7. Neku
Neku Sakuraba is probably the person you least expected on this list. Sure, he dies, yada yada, but the fact that he died actually saved the world in The World Ends with You. Neku being the proxy chosen by Joshua made it so that he was able to defeat Kitanji before the world was engrossed with the Red Skull pins, and thus prevented the world being a mindless mass, devoid of creation. Because the world follows the trends of Shibuya, and because Neku took part in the Reapers' Game, Shibuya was saved, as was the world. Neku simply had to die to save the world in death.
6. Kratos' Family
Kratos kills his own wife and daughter in a blind rage set by Ares, and this is really what ignites his rage against the gods. Following this act, Kratos' life becomes even more filled with blood and gore, and he eventually kills most of the major gods and goddesses within the world, and basically destroys the, er, god society.
5. Gregory Edgeworth
Miles Edgeworth's father being killed by Manfred con Karma caused a variety of events in the Ace Attorney universe. It caused Miles to become a prosecutor, and thus Phoenix a defense lawyer. It caused the disgrace of the Fey clan, indirectly, and thus, a multitude of events occur. If you followed a flowchart, you'd see that Edgeworth's death even led to things like Mia Fey's death, Apollo Justice becoming an attorney, and loads more. That spark led to so many things, it's unbelievable-the only reason he isn't higher is that this DID actually end up affecting world events, just not to the level that some other entries did.
4. Samus' Parents
Ridley is the reason that Samus is a bounty hunter in the first place, because she became one due to the attack on her home planet. The space pirates wreaked terror, and the leader, Ridley, killed her parents before her very eyes. This sparked Samus to train hard, and also led to her being raised by the Chozo, and thus she was endowed with critical abilities that she would need in her quests to save the galaxy (and universe) multiple times.
3. The Boss
The Boss' story in Metal Gear Solid 3 prompted many of the events in the Metal Gear universe. Her desires shaped the Patriots, as well as split them apart, and she also directly affected Big Boss, who, in turn, affected Solid Snake. She shaped the beliefs of many people in her death, and well, in death, really caused several of the main conflicts in the series, over time.
2. The Nihilanth
The Nihilanth, for those not in the know, is the final boss of Half-Life, and is the reason why the conflict in Half-Life 2 exists. Once the Nihilanth dies, the Combine are able to go through Xen and reach Earth, which they weren't able to before, and thus, the Seven-Hour War occurs. After this, the subjugation of humanity begins, until Gordon Freeman appears, 20 years later. The effect of the Nihilanth dying is easy to see, and there's definitely more, if Freeman's future efforts take down the Combine in any way.
1. Demise
Demise's death is the entire reason that the Legend of Zelda games occur. Upon his death, he claims that an incarnation of his hatred will constantly come back to the descendants of Link and Zelda. This is, of course, the undying Ganondorf, who constantly returns to wreak havok, though it's possible that the other Zelda villains are incarnations as well. In any case, this is the whole reason all the conflicts exist in the Zelda universe, and that's why he deserves the number one spot-his death resulted in a conflict that lasted thousands of years, across multiple generations, and worlds.
Well, there we have it, the most significant deaths that have happened in gaming. If you can think of any other major deaths, or have a personal one, feel free to leave comments below. A couple I'll mention I decided not to include were Mary Sunderland and Jecht, just so you guys know. Well, I'll see you all tomorrow.