PlayStation is known for its many exclusives, which have brought along a lot of popular characters and series,such asMetal Gear,Kingdom Hearts,Persona, and so much more. As these characters are taken along their journeys, they will meet many other characters that will have a massive impact on them and their future.
Although these characters have a pivotal role in these series, some of them have tragically passed away, either on-screen or off-screen. Whether these characters serve as the main protagonist, or an important mentor and partner to another, their passing has a serious impact on the story and series as a whole.
As players spend time in theworld ofGod of War, they will get to know Kratos and his second wife, Faye. Faye’s past consists of coming from a Giant legacy, something she kept from her family, including Kratos and her son, Atreus. Faye was also the original owner of theLeviathan Axe, the weapon that Kratos uses in the entirety ofGod of War.
Unfortunately, Faye had passed away before the start of the game, having made her final request to Kratos to have her ashes scattered on the highest peak. This is what sparks the events in the game, with Kratos looking to fulfill her wishes. Although not much information is given on her past and how exactly she passed away, players will feel the hole that she left behind in Kratos' life and their son, with many of their future motivations revolving around her.
Master Eraqus has a significant role to play inKingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, serving as a mentor to the team of Terra, Aqua, and Ventus. He spends his time teaching them how to become successful Keyblade Masters, as he is a professional himself. Eventually, however, he attempts to defeat Ventus, who is trying to create theχ-bladewhile in his dark form of Vanitas, a weapon that could bring about another Keyblade War.
Although his intentions are pure, and he wishes to protect the world, his attempt to defeat Ventus leads to Terra killing Master Eraqus to save Ventus. Despite these unfortunate circumstances, Master Eraqus' death has a massive effect on the team, who all looked up to him and viewed him as a father figure. Ventus, especially, is motivated to prevent the creation of the χ-blade after Master Eraqus' death and prevent Vanitas from taking over.
As fans progress throughPersona 3orPersona 3 Reload, they will spend time building up relationships with theother students in S.E.E.S, and even outside the team. These friendships grow into deep relationships, with Makoto Yuki enhancing his Personas through these characters. The game is heavily focused around Makoto getting to know these people and spending time with them, so his demise at the end of the game is certainly a surprise.
In order to save the world and those Makoto cares about, he must sacrifice himself to sealNyxaway forever. Though it initially seems that he made it out after the final battle, he sticks around long enough to see his friends graduate before eventually passing away in Aegis' lap. His death has such significant consequences, that it fuels the story and motivations of the S.E.E.S team inPersona 3 FES: The Answer.
Without The Boss inMetal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, there would be no Big Boss. Her achievements are incredibly impressive, including founding the Cobra Unit, protecting thePhilosophers' Legacy, completing the Virtuous Mission, and even serving as a mentor and mother figure to Naked Snake. Their bond became so strong, that Snake would have done practically anything to protect her legacy and her final wish.
Despite initially believing The Boss had defected to the Soviet Union and betrayed their country, Big Boss soon learns of all the things she did to sacrifice herself to protect the United States. Her final demise at the hands of Big Boss was done so to keep the peace and make sure that the mission was completed successfully. Her passing never leaves Big Boss' mind, and had a major impact on the rest of his life and beliefs.
Fans ofThe Last of Usseriesare well aware of Joel Miller, who serves as the main character in the first game. The character spends the game surviving through the apocalypse, and even loses his daughter, Sarah, during the initial outbreak. Eventually, we see him take in and protect Ellie, keeping her safe from the rest of the world as if she was his own daughter.
As we see Joel and Ellie 5 years later inThe Last of Us Part 2, their relationship has become strained due to past events involving Joel saving Ellie’s life. Eventually, Tommy and Joel are ambushed by Abby, who kills Joel after finding out he killed her father in the past. However, he did this to save Ellie, as Abby’s father would have used her to create a vaccine, which would have resulted in her death. His death was incredibly unexpected to many fans, and had a massive impact on Ellie’s further motivations in the game.
Not only isAerith Gainsborough a fantastic healerinFinal Fantasy 7, she also joins together with Cloud and his team in their journey to put an end to Sephiroth and his attempt to control the world. Without Aerith on Cloud’s team, they would all struggle to stay alive on the battlefield. As she is attempting to summon the White Magic spell, Holy, however, she is impaled and killed bySephiroth.
Aerith’s death has a major impact on Cloud, making him feel responsible for not being able to properly protect her. However, her passing allows Cloud to deepen his relationship with the rest of the team, and he is able to connect with Aerith spiritually through the Planet and the Lifestream. Although she passes on early, she still has a major effect on the team and their quest to defeat Sephiroth.
Big Boss has had a multitude of ‘deaths’ in theMetal Gearseries and has often fallen into comas for extended periods of time. Despite this, the man always awoke from these comas, and continued to command his armies, including Diamond Dogs, MSF, and eventuallyFOXHOUND, where he trained his highly-capable clone, Solid Snake. Little did the legendary soldier know that his clone would eventually be his demise.
InMetal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Big Boss awakens from his final coma at the end of the game, and meets with Solid Snake at a cemetery. Here, he tells Snake of the history of The Patriots, and explains the FOXDIE virus inside Snake. Soon after meeting with him, the virus overtakes Big Boss' body, and he passes away in front of The Boss’s grave. Although the relationship between the two was never one of love and care, Solid Snake still looks up to the man and pays tribute to him in his final moments as hefaces his own mortality.
