10 Best Movie Deaths Of 2021

But no death scene this past year has been more talked about - or proven more divisive with the core fanbase - than James Bond's (Daniel Craig) demise at the end of No Time to Die.

Even with this being Daniel Craig's final outing as 007, the prospect of James Bond actually dying on-screen and breaking with almost 60 years of tradition seemed practically inconceivable.

But quite fittingly, the most emotionally complex, tortured, and visceral Bond era of them all saw 007's life come to an end after villain Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek) infects him with nanobots programmed to kill Madeleine (Léa Seydoux) and his daughter Mathilde.

After killing Safin, Bond reasons that a life without being able to touch his family would be unendurable, and so following a tearful phone call with Madeleine waits for the incoming missile barrage to destroy him along with Safin's nanobot factory.

It's a devastating scene, but also an admirably bold one, and one the franchise will likely never be able to get away with again - at least, not with nearly this level of impact.

Between the direction, performances, and Hans Zimmer's affecting score, this was a deservedly tear-jerking send-off for one of the finest Bond eras ever.