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Like with movies, video games tend to implement a variety of unique tropes to help enhance the overall experience. While some tropes are to be expected, the fake out death trope is typically quite rare. Watching a beloved video game character die can be a heartbreaking experience, but watching as they return doesn’t really detract from the grief players will have already felt,
5 Kratos - God Of War 1
As a god, it makes sense why Kratos is often so difficult to kill. That said, players need to know that he isn’t invincible. In God of War 1, Kratos sets out on a journey to kill Ares, the current god of war. Sadly, he doesn’t possess the means required to kill a god, but he does acquire it inside the temple bound to Cronos’ back.
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Filled with determination, Kratos exclaims that he is no longer a servant to Ares. From afar, Ares refuses to accept his former servant’s resignation, and instead hurls a pillar through Kratos’ chest, killing him instantly. This death surely came as a shock for most players, especially because of how sudden it was, but it wasn’t enough to keep the famed Spartan dead. Shortly after being killed, Kratos finds himself plummeting into the Underworld. Instead of accepting his fate, he vows to return to Athens to enact his revenge, and that’s exactly what he does.
4 9S - NieR: Automata
NieR: Automata takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting in which humanity was forced to evacuate Earth and seek shelter on the Moon due to the invasion of Machine lifeforms. To protect the planet, humans created Androids, supposedly emotionless beings that possess inhuman strength. Most of the game follows the Androids 9S and 2B as they strive to rid the planet of the Machines that plague it, but their job becomes a great deal more challenging when they meet Adam and Eve, two humanoid-like beings who are revealed to be manifestations of the machine network.
Adam and Eve not only pose a threat to humanity, but they also threaten the existence of life itself. Thankfully, Adam is able to keep Eve’s anger in check, but when he dies at 2B’s hands, Eve is left to his own devices. The grief he feels drives him to launch an all-out attack on the planet, and only 2B and 9S are capable of stopping him. Once the Androids defeat Eve, 9S begins showing symptoms of the logic virus. With no known cure, 2B is forced to kill 9S before he loses control and sides with the Machines. It’s a deeply saddening scene, but it only lasts for a few moments before 9S transfers his consciousness into an inactive machine nearby. 9S’ death seemed irreversible, but he managed to continue living thanks to his quick thinking.
3 Joel Miller - The Last Of Us
Upon reaching Eastern Colorado on their quest to find the Fireflies, Joel and Ellie learn that the people they are searching for have moved on. While they are frustrated by this revelation, they decide to keep searching, as doing so might provide a cure for those infected with the Cordyceps virus.
Before they can continue their journey to Salt Lake City, however, a group of raiders infiltrates the University of Eastern Colorado and traps Joel and Ellie within. To escape, the pair must fight tooth and nail to outwit their pursuers. Just as they are nearing the exit, a lone bandit shoves Joel over a balcony. Normally, this wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but Joel gets impaled by some debris upon hitting the ground, leaving Ellie to help him to the exit. Once the scene ends, players will eventually gain control of Ellie, but Joel remains nowhere to be seen. Players are then led to believe that Joel didn’t survive his wounds, but it is later revealed that he is still hanging on.
2 Commander Shepard - Mass Effect 2
While scouting for remaining Geth from inside the Normandy, Shepard and their crew get attacked by a ship of unknown origin. The Normandy is pushed to its limits during the battle, so Shepard decides it’s best if their companions abandon ship. Sadly, there aren’t enough escape pods for everyone, so Shepard sacrifices themselves in order for Joker to escape in the only remaining pod. Very few video games begin by killing off their main character, but Mass Effect 2 is a fascinating exception.
Though Shepard clearly died during the opening of Mass Effect 2, the Illusive Man refused to accept it. He believed that having Shepard on his side would be a huge benefit for the upcoming war, so he elects to revive her. He ordered Cerberus to find and repair the body and spent four billion credits to bring Shepard back to life. What made this fake-out death so memorable was how sudden it was; no one expected Shepard to die within the first few minutes of the game.
1 Sora - Kingdom Hearts 1
Upon reaching Hollow Bastion in Kingdom Hearts 1, Sora will be forced to battle Ansem, one of his greatest enemies to date. To plunge the Worlds into darkness, Ansem took control of Riku’s body, and in doing so, he became whole again. Before this, he spent most of the story patiently waiting for Maleficent to find and capture the Seven Princesses of Heart, seven characters whose hearts are needed to open the Door to Darkness.
Upon possessing Riku, Ansem gains the ability to summon a Keyblade of Heart, a sinister-looking weapon capable of releasing people’s hearts. Once Sora figures out what this Keyblade is capable of, he picks it up from where Ansem dropped it, aims the blade towards his chest, and impales himself with it, releasing both his and Kairi’s heart in the process. With his heart gone, Sora fades away, leaving Donald, Goofy, and Kairi to fend for themselves. Once the cutscene finishes playing, however, players will be given control of a small Shadow Heartless. To move the story forward, the Shadow must locate Kairi in the lower halls, where the young Princess of Heart will transform Sora back into his original self, thus bringing him back to life.
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