10 Devastating Film Deaths That Came Out Of Nowhere

3. Ray - The Princess And The Frog

Disney films have a habit of killing off characters as a means to expedite the main character's journey to heroism. Mufasa, Bambi's mother, Nemo's mother and Mr and Mrs Pelekai in Lilo & Stitch all die to give the stars of their movies something to overcome. It's cruel but it works as a convention and it's not like we see any of them actually die on screen.

That shyness with on-screen deaths changed in the excellent The Princess And The Frog, when firefly Ray tells Tiana that Naveen loves her, rescues the real Naveen and steals the charm that disguises Lawrence as the fake Naveen. He's basically on the path to being the film's real hero, but just as he vows to hold off the demons so Tiana can escape, Facilier reminds everyone how fragile life is by stomping on him.

It's a fairly unnecessary death, but its impact is devastatingly effective and it's easily one of the most successful tear-jerking moments in Disney history.