10 Heartbreaking Deaths of Movie Characters We Never Even Knew
5. Théodred - The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers
Audiences cried when Gandalf (Ian McKellen) died, audiences cried when Boromir (Sean Bean) died, and audiences even cried when Gollum (Andy Serkis) died. However, one of the most emotional deaths in the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy came for a character that barely made a physical appearance on screen.
During Saruman's (Christopher Lee) attack on Rohan during The Two Towers, Théodred was mortally wounded and shortly died. He was mourned by Éowyn (Miranda Otto), but his father, King Théodan (Bernard Hill), was at the time under the influence of Saruman's poison by way of Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif), and had no knowledge of exactly what was going on.
When Gandalf freed Théodan from his spell, it wasn't long before he asked about his son, only to find out that he had been killed in battle. Not only the heir to his throne and kingdom, but his only child.
It was heart-wrenching to see Éowyn greave at her cousin's passing, but to see Théodan crumble was something else. This was all about the immaculate performance of Bernard Hill, who so poignantly portrayed going through every parent's worst nightmare in burying their own child.