How to Write a Meaningful Death for Your Hero

By Joy C. Woodbury

“Why would I ever want to kill my hero?” you may be asking as you click this article.

Rarely in fiction do we see a hero die. Unlike the mentor - can we agree that mentors are pretty much doomed before the novel even begins? - heroes bear an Immortal stamp on their foreheads.

But believe it or not, there are instances when heroes need to die for the sake of your story.

“Really?” you ask. “Like when? And why?”

Well, friends, that is a deep subject. What is the purpose in killing off your protagonist? How do you accomplish it while satisfying your reader, who has followed and rooted for this protagonist? Most importantly, how can Christian writers do it while portraying hope and light?

We’ll examine each of these questions today. First, let’s start off by establishing the purpose - why it would ever be necessary to kill your hero.

What’s the Purpose?

Surprisingly, the answer to this question is actually quite simple. 

What’s the purpose of writing anything into your story?

The purpose is your theme.

Each character and plot point in your novel must point directly to your theme. If a plot point, scene, or important character trait doesn’t contribute to your theme (the message readers will carry away), it’s unnecessary and should be altered or cut.

In fact, the reason some novels are packed with scenes that seem empty and useless is because the writer failed to tie them in with the theme.

I’m a big believer in knowing your theme extremely well before starting on page one. Not knowing your theme puts you at risk of running out of ideas or becoming bored with the story.

A novel isn’t just a string of events; it must have a message you are passionate about. A story without passion is not only boring, it’s meaningless and sad! Obviously, that’s not what we want if we’re out to impact readers as Christian storytellers.

So before you map out your plot points, dig deep into your theme. Pull out a notebook and answer these three critical questions:

You might be wondering why we just discussed theme. Why? Because your theme will determine whether or not you kill your hero.

As aforesaid, once you know your theme, you can begin wrapping your plot and characters around it. In some cases, killing your hero will not fit with the theme; in other cases, it will. When you know your purpose well, you can decide whether killing off the hero will point directly to that purpose. Then you’ll know whether a hero death scene is necessary for this story.

I was recently discussing a TV series with a friend. In this series, the theme was supposed to be the inherent goodness of people. However, all the characters were gloomy pessimists, and everything ended in betrayal. Neither of us could figure out how these characters and plot events tied in with the theme at all!

Similarly, if you’re writing a lighthearted contemporary with a theme of perseverance where things are supposed to conclude neatly and non-bittersweetly (yes, non-bittersweetly is totally a word), killing off your hero may not be the best option.

 But if you’re writing a heavier fantasy with a theme of eternal salvation, killing your hero may be just the punch needed to reach your readers. Just because a hero death scene is powerful doesn’t mean it belongs in every story - and in fact, if it doesn’t belong, it will be aggravating rather than powerful.

Death Scene Set-Up

Next we’ll need to learn how to successfully set up and foreshadow a hero death scene.

Perhaps you’re aiming for your hero’s death to act as a plot twist. Even so, you can’t skip this step.

The purpose of a plot twist is to make readers gasp, but gasp while thinking: “I totally saw that coming! Why didn’t I realize it? It’s so obvious that it was going to happen!” 

The purpose of a plot twist is not so readers can look back and see no indication of it, thus annoying them and even making them feel deceived or manipulated. Remember that your readers stay with your story because they care about your characters and what will happen to them. They don’t want to be left feeling as if they’ve wasted their precious time investing in your hero.

With this in mind, how do you write an excellent set-up that utilizes foreshadowing and ensures your readers won’t leave feeling upset or unfulfilled?

My favorite novel of all time, Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables, will serve as our case study. It’s a perfect example of everything we’re about to discuss. So here are three useful tips to assist you as you spend your novel building up to this scene.

Tip #1: Make readers genuinely care about your hero.

We might think this goes without saying, but with some books I’ve read that include hero deaths, more time is spent escalating the story’s external conflict than developing the hero himself. 

If you don’t develop your hero - give him an internal conflict, make him relatable (he doesn’t have to be likable, but readers must be able to identify with him), show why the novel’s events matter to him - no one will care when his death comes to pass.

Les Miserables ends with the death of Jean Valjean, its protagonist. A big theme in Les Mis is sacrifice (remember how we talked about purpose in the previous section?).

At the beginning of the story, Valjean is a hardened convict who robs a kindhearted bishop upon being released from prison. Please note that the robbery occurs after Bishop Myriel takes this convict into his own home with the words, “You are my brother; and this is not my house, it is Christ’s.” You wouldn’t think that such actions would make us embrace this character, would you?

But Hugo, as the author, establishes a connection between his protagonist and his readers from Valjean’s very first appearance. This is especially remarkable given that Valjean doesn’t begin as a charitable man. 

However, we immediately relate to him and empathize with him because he is hardened by others’ inhumane treatment of him, and he doesn’t believe in redemption. Because he has been treated as nothing but a disgusting criminal, he believes he cannot change. That’s what leads him to rob the Bishop after Myriel’s kindness toward him - because if people believe him to be so evil, why shouldn’t he just act that way? He cannot conceive that the Bishop’s faith in him is actually sincere.

Valjean’s first appearance is executed brilliantly because the author doesn’t miss his very first opportunity to connect us with this character. Instead of making us wait to relate to Valjean, he establishes that right away.

What can we learn from this? 

• We can learn that first impressions matter in fiction as much as they do in real life.

•  Don’t wait to create that connection between the protagonist and the reader. 

• Again, your hero absolutely does not have to be likeable or virtuous. He simply must be relatable.

Tip #2: Give your character a clearly defined character arc

Carefully plan out your hero’s character arc. Be sure it is clearly defined - meaning that you know exactly where it is supposed to go, and that you take readers along on the journey.

Ask yourself:

Will this hero end the story (at the time of the planned death scene) as a better or worse person? In other words, will he have a positive or negative arc?

Once you determine whether the arc will be positive or negative, you can begin to plan the novel’s events accordingly, working your way up to the death scene. When planning, remember that one event should lead to another, and the changes in your hero should make sense with the events.

The death scene should bring your hero’s arc full circle and show how he has developed and transformed throughout the novel.

Need an example? Let’s return to our case study.

• After robbing the Bishop, Jean Valjean is about to be sent back to prison when Myriel claims the charge against him is false. The clergyman then asserts he has bought Valjean’s soul to God. This is the inciting incident that leads our protagonist into a life of godliness and generosity.
• Yet he still believes himself to be a worthless, irredeemable man. He leads a sad life haunted by his past. All the while he is pursued by both Inspector Javert and a criminal gang. His one joy is his adopted daughter Cosette, but he begins to lose her when she falls in love with Marius. This is his greatest test: Will he put his happiness before Cosette’s, or sacrifice his happiness for hers?
• At first, Valjean rejoices at the news that Marius will die at the barricades. But because he has truly become an honest and self-sacrificing hero, he risks his life at the barricades and the sewers to save his daughter’s love.
• Because of his love for Cosette, Valjean wants her to be happy, even though it means sacrificing the only joy he has ever experienced. He brings Marius safely to her; and what’s more, he never tells anyone about his acts of love. This shows just how saintly he has become, like the Bishop before him.
• Because he is honest, he reveals his ex-convict past, which leads a horrified Marius to sever Cosette’s ties to her father. Valjean quietly submits, knowing that he is unwanted and the couple is better off without him. Indescribably lonely, he becomes ill from a broken heart and cannot leave his bed.

I’ll stop here for now since we’ll be case-studying the actual death scene in the next section. Let’s analyze Valjean’s character arc and how it can help you craft a compelling arc for your own hero.

Valjean’s arc is a brilliant one for many reasons, but here are the three primary reasons it works:

By giving your hero a clearly defined character arc, readers will be able to see how the ending (your hero’s death) makes sense for the story. That way, it isn’t a jarring shock when the hero dies; it makes sense, and so it’s satisfying. Sure, readers’ hearts may be broken, but broken in a beautiful way. They will come away from your story with changed lives.

That’s the best way to set up and foreshadow any character's death.

But wait a moment - how is that foreshadowing? I’m glad you asked. 

In Les Mis, the hero dedicates his life to sacrificing his own joy for the joy of others. With each chapter, he becomes more and more loving, self-sacrificing, and generous, while fighting his internal conflict (the fear that he will never be a truly godly man). That’s his character arc. Because he is so kind, he is abused by others, and indeed comes close to death many times because of his selflessness.

This foreshadows how Valjean ultimately will die because of his love and kindness. He saves Marius and ensures his daughter’s lifelong joy; in return, he is kicked out of their lives and becomes fatally ill of a broken heart. His death makes total sense with his character arc, and it shows how he has truly transformed from a hateful convict into a savior and a saint.

How Should I

Write the Hero’s Death?

Death scenes will, out of necessity, look very different from story to story. However, there are a couple good rules to abide by while writing them. The following two tips will work for any genre and specific story situation.

Tip #1: Don’t forget to portray the hero’s emotions.

Remember that your hero will certainly have emotions going into this death scene. Whether it’s a swordfight, an illness, an accident, etc., the hero doesn’t just stop having the emotions he’s experienced throughout the entire story. 

• Perhaps the hero will feel brave, resting in the assurance of his kingdom’s safety.
• Or perhaps he will feel grief as he rushes into battle without his best friend by his side.

In the final chapters of Les Mis, Valjean forces himself to stay away from Cosette, although it causes him unbearable pain. He often gazes in the direction of Cosette’s house and weeps for her. Finally, his spirit breaks completely, and he no longer has the strength to bear up against his grief.

As a result, he catches a fever, becoming so sick that he can’t rise from his bed. A doctor concludes that Valjean is dying of a broken heart and recovery is impossible. Shortly before his death, Valjean writes an emotional note to Cosette and Marius, asking them to always love one another. Overcome, he wails that his only wish is to see her once more before he dies.

Valjean’s emotion in these final scenes are what really make them so difficult to read. Tragically, he has no more will to live and longs for death.

If we were only shown the illness and the slow descent into death, we would be emotionally detached from these final scenes. 

Keep your reader emotionally invested for the entire ride, perhaps especially in these scenes. Never let them become detached from the action.

Tip #2: Tie up all the necessary loose ends.

In these final scenes as Valjean is dying, we’re certainly shown the tragic beauty of his sacrifice. But there’s still one last moment missing: the moment that marks his complete transformation from the man he was at the beginning of the novel.

Just as Valjean is crying out for Cosette, he hears a knock on his door. At his feeble “Come in,” Marius and Cosette rush in.

Through Thenardier, the villain of the story (the irony!), Marius has just discovered that Valjean is not in fact a murderer and a thief. Rather, he is a savior and a saint - he saved the lives of both Javert and Marius.

Seeing his daughter and son-in-law, Valjean lights up with joy and exclaims his gratitude that they have forgiven him. Tearfully, Marius throws himself down and admits Valjean is not the one to be forgiven; in fact, it is he who should forgive.

Marius and Cosette announce they are taking their father home with them, to which Valjean responds that he will die in a few minutes. Frantic, the couple begins to sob, crying out that it is too soon. Valjean, however, is calm. He comforts Marius and Cosette, instructing them to have faith in God, to love, and to forgive. He blesses them with his love, apologizing to Marius for not always loving his son-in-law.

With Bishop Myriel’s candlesticks and a crucifix before him, he thinks of the good bishop who gave his soul to God. He knows he has fulfilled his promise to become a good man, and is overjoyed that he is redeemed in the eyes of his children. Finally, he dies embracing them with the light of the candlesticks on his face, symbolizing his transformation into a godly man and the eternal glory he will receive in heaven.

Conclusion:

As Christians, we hold the joyful knowledge that death is not the end. Christ is preparing a special place in heaven for all those who love Him.

Even if you’re writing a character who dies with a negative arc, always remember that this isn’t what Christ wants for His children, and show His love to your reader. Convey the wonderful truth that His gift of eternal life and salvation are free for all who want it.

If you’ve ever written a hero death scene, comment down below and share how it went for you! What did you learn from the process? How do you think Christian writers should convey hope in our stories?

Blessings as you write!