10 Great Movies Where The Villain Kills The Hero

2. 300

As with Braveheart, anyone with a passing knowledge of the real history of the Battle of Thermopylae would have known going in that no amount of ridiculously sculpted abs and perfectly shaped facial hair was going to save Gerard Butler's King Leonidas. He could spit defiantly about this being Sparta all he wanted, but his story was of a valiant, but heroically doomed final stand by a small band of heroes against a monstrous enemy.

Sadly for Leonidas, he and his merry band of warriors HAD to die at the hands of that enemy. They had been denied reinforcements by the Spartan council and the only way to rally that support would be through their martyrdom, which in turn would also be used as a legendary tale to inspire those who fought in their wake.

Still, it's shocking to see that final shot of the last of the 300 laid out and riddled with arrows is a stunningly affecting one and a chilling reminder that even the mightiest fall.